care that Christianity and morality are not forgotten.  The first day’s topic was, the genealogy of heaven and earth; then the Will, (Jupiter); the Understanding, (Mercury):  the second day’s, the celestial inspiration of genius, perception, and transmission of divine law, (Apollo); the terrene inspiration, the impassioned abandonment of genius, (Bacchus).  Of the thunderbolt, the caduceus, the ray, and the grape, having disposed as well as might be, we came to the wave, and the sea-shell it moulds to Beauty, and Love her parent and her child.

    ’I assure you, there is more Greek than Bostonian spoken at
    the meetings; and we may have pure honey of Hymettus to give
    you yet.’

To another friend she wrote:—­

’The circle I meet interests me.  So even devoutly thoughtful seems their spirit, that, from the very first, I took my proper place, and never had the feeling I dreaded, of display, of a paid Corinne.  I feel as I would, truly a teacher and a guide.  All are intelligent; five or six have talent.  But I am never driven home for ammunition; never put to any expense; never truly called out.  What I have is always enough; though I feel how superficially I am treating my subject.’

Here is an extract from the letter of a lady, who joined the class, for the first time, at the eighth meeting, to her friend in New Haven:—­

“Christmas made a holiday for Miss Fuller’s class, but it met on Saturday, at noon.  As I sat there, my heart overflowed with joy at the sight of the bright circle, and I longed to have you by my side, for I know not where to look for so much character, culture, and so much love of truth and beauty, in any other circle of women and girls.  The names and faces would not mean so much to you as to me, who have seen more of the lives, of which they are the sign.  Margaret, beautifully dressed, (don’t despise that, for it made a fine picture,) presided with more dignity and grace than I had thought possible.  The subject was Beauty.  Each had written her definition, and Margaret began with reading her own.  This called forth questions, comments, and illustrations, on all sides.  The style and manner, of course, in this age, are different, but the question, the high point from which it was considered, and the earnestness and simplicity of the discussion, as well as the gifts and graces of the speakers, gave it the charm of a Platonic dialogue.  There was no pretension or pedantry in a word that was said.  The tone of remark and question was simple as that of children in a school class; and, I believe, every one was gratified.”

The conversations thus opened proceeded with spirit and success.  Under the mythological forms, room was found for opening all the great questions, on which Margaret and her friends wished to converse.  Prometheus was made the type of Pure Reason; Jupiter, of Will; Juno, the passive side of the same, or Obstinacy;