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 Edgeworth, who was possessed with extraordinary mental activity, took a house at Hare Hatch in Berkshire, and began to invent various mechanical contrivances, and to make schemes for the good of his native country of Ireland. He claimed to be the first inventor of the telegraph. His daughter, Maria, was sent to school at Derby, when she was only eight years old. Her own mother died in 1773, and four months afterwards, her father married a second time, Miss Honora Sneyd, who seems to have been a perfect prodigy of excellence, both in body and mind. Her married life was short, for she died of consumption in 1780, and by her dying advice Mr. Edgeworth married her sister, Elizabeth. At the age of fifteen Maria Edgeworth, who had only been in Ireland on short visits, now returned with the rest of the family, to take up a permanent abode at Edgeworthstown, and, except on brief visits and tours abroad, she never left it for any length of time. Her father was in the habit of making her write short compositions, which he corrected himself. One time he told her to write a tale on the subject of "Generosity." When the tale was sent to him his remark was, "An excellent story, and extremely well-written^ but where is the generosity?" That important part had been overlooked.

Maria was already beginning to plan out sketches