'
'Nay, niece, it cannot be denied, that you have pride enough; my poor
brother, your father, had his share of pride too; though, let me add,
his fortune did not justify it.'
Emily, somewhat embarrassed by the indignation, which this malevolent
allusion to her father excited, and by the difficulty of rendering
her answer as temperate as it should be reprehensive, hesitated for
some moments, in a confusion, which highly gratified her aunt. At
length she said, 'My father's pride, Madam, had a noble object--the
happiness which he knew could be derived only from goodness,
knowledge and charity. As it never consisted in his superiority, in
point of fortune, to some persons, it was not humbled by his
inferiority, in that respect, to others. He never disdained those,
who were wretched by poverty and misfortune; he did sometimes despise
persons, who, with many opportunities of happiness, rendered
themselves miserable by vanity, ignorance and cruelty. I shall think
it my highest glory to emulate such pride.'
'I do not pretend to understand any thing of these high-flown
sentiments, niece; you have all that glory to yourself: I would
teach you a little plain sense, and not have you so wise as to
despise happiness.
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