APROPOS OF THE SEASON.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume I, Issue 34, 20 December 1873, Page 9

APROPOS OF THE SEASON.

I asked this great creature — Miss Wirfc— in what other branches of education she instructed her pupils. " The modern languages," says she modestly, " French, Gorman, Spanish and Italian, Latin, and tho rudiments of Greek if required, Knglish, of course ; the practice of Elocution, Geography, and Astronotnj, and the use of the Globes; Algebra (but only as far as quadratic equations) ; (or a poor iguorant female, you know, Mr Snob, cannot be expected to know everything. Ancient aud Modern History no young wonsan can bo without ; and of these I make my beloved pupils perfect mistresses. Botany, Geology, and Mineralogy, I consider amusements ; and with these I can asture you we manage to spend the day 3 at the Evergreens not unpleasantly." Only these, thought I— what an education ! But I looked in one of Miss Ponto's manuscript song-books and found five faults of French in four words : and in a waggish mood asking whether Dante Algiery was so called because he was born at Algiers, received a smiling answer in the affirmative, which made me rather doubt about, the accuracy of Miss Win's knowledge. — " Thackeray on Snobs."