Thus did this amiable woman contrive not only to live in peace, but, without sacrificing her own liberal ideas, to be actually beloved by those amongst whom her lot had been cast, however dissimilar to herself.  But for that Christian spirit (in which must ever be included a liberal mind and gentle temper), she must have felt towards her connexions a still stronger repugnance than was even manifested by Lady Juliana; for Lady Juliana’s superiority over them was merely that of refined habits and elegant manners; whereas Mrs. Douglas’s was the superiority of a noble and highly-gifted mind, which could hold no intercourse with theirs except by stooping to the level of their low capacities.  But, that the merit of her conduct may be duly appreciated, I shall endeavour to give a slight sketch of the female dramatis personae of Glenfern Castle.

Miss Jacky, the senior of the trio, was what is reckoned a very sensible woman—­which generally means, a very disagreeable, obstinate, illiberal director of all men, women, and children—­a sort of superintendent of all actions, time, and place—­with unquestioned authority to arraign, judge, and condemn upon the statutes of her own supposed sense.  Most country parishes have their sensible woman, who lays down the law on all affairs, spiritual and temporal.  Miss Jacky stood unrivalled as the sensible woman of Glenfern.  She had attained this eminence partly from having a little more understanding than her sisters, but principally from her dictatorial manner, and the pompous decisive tone in which she delivered the most commonplace truths.  At home her supremacy in all matters of sense was perfectly established; and thence the infection, like other superstitions, had spread over the whole neighbourhood.  As sensible woman she regulated the family, which she took care to let everybody see; she was conductor of her nieces’ education, which she took care to let everybody hear; she was a sort of postmistress general—­a detector of all abuses and impositions; and deemed it her prerogative to be consulted about all the useful and useless things which everybody else could have done as well.  She was liberal of her advice to the poor, always enforcing upon them the iniquity of idleness, but doing nothing for them in the way of employment—­strict economy being one of the many points in which she was particularly sensible.  The consequence was, while she was lecturing half the poor women in the parish for their idleness, the bread was kept out of their mouths by the incessant carding of wool and knitting of stockings, and spinning, and reeling, and winding, and pirning, that went on amongst the ladies themselves.  And, by-the-bye, Miss Jacky is not the only sensible woman who thinks she is acting a meritorious part when she converts what ought to be the portion of the poor into the employment of the affluent.