leaves it is in the bottom drawer of the right hand, among my devotional miscellanies: Or rather, much rather, be pleased to order a copy of it to be made out for her, and to give the original, it being mostly in my own hand-writing, to my dear father. This is a better thought by much; for the dear good man will esteem it the more for that. I wonder I did not think of this before.

To the other servants I have only to leave my thanks and best wishes, for their respectful love and dutiful behaviour. to one who, from being once hardly the equal to some of them, has been exalted to the honourable station of their mistress, by your superlative goodness and favour. No servants, my dear Mr. B-, ever deserved a mistress's thanks, if yours do not; for they, every one of them, most cheerfully came into all my little schemes and regulations; and they have encouraged me, by their ready obedience and their respectful loves, to pursue the natural dictates of my own heart, and have made all assumings and pride as unnecessary, as they would have been grievous to me, and censurable by every one else: For was it not my high concern so to behave myself to all, low as well as high, that my best beloved benefactor should not, by my arrogance or inattention, have censures of him, added to enviers of me, for the step he had taken so derogatory to his own honour, and to that of his ancient and splendid family?

To the favour of the best of masters I therefore leave them, with this testimony of their merits, and of my kind regard to them, which makes me venture to call them, without one exception, from my silver-haired Jonathan, to the lowest menial, the best set of servants that any gentleman ever had: Nor, by Miss Darnford's account of the behaviour of those at the Hall, do I find them at all unworthy of being classed with these here, in the happy character. And let me say, my dearest Mr. B! that I have been not a little attentive to their respective behaviours, and have taken Mrs. Jervis's observations, as a help to my own, in this particular; because I thought it my duty to do so, as well in justice to your dear self, as to them.

As to Polly Barlow, to whom I was willing to behave with an eye to my dear good lady's kindness to myself, I have nothing to say, by way of distinction from the rest; having hinted to Mrs. Jervis to give her her advice, from time to time; and that, if an honest husband should offer, she should advise the poor girl not to decline it.

Forgive me, dearest sir, for thus mentioning to you, in this solemn letter, so particularly your servants. But the pleasure which their regularity and worthiness have given me, together with the knowledge I have of their fidelity and affectionate duty to you, methinks call for this testimony of my satisfaction in them, and for my recommendation of them to your favour.

And now, what have I farther to say, but to beg of God to shower down His most precious blessings upon you, my dearest, my first, my last, and my only love! and to return. to you an hundred fold, the benefits which you have conferred upon me and mine, and upon so many poor souls, as you have blessed through my hands! And that you may, in your next choice, be happy with a lady who may have everything I want; and who may love and honour you with the same affectionate duty, which has been my delight and my glory to pay you: For in this, I am sure, no one can exceed me!—And after having given you long life, prosperity, and increase of honour, translate you into a blessed eternity, where, through the merits of our common Redeemer, I hope I shall be allowed a place, and be permitted (oh, let me indulge that pleasing, that consolatory thought) to receive and rejoice in my restored spouse, for ever and ever; are the prayers, the last prayers, if it so please God! of, my dearest dear Mr. B

,

Your dutiful and affectionate wife,

And faithful servant,

P. B

LETTER LX.

Miss Darnford to Lady Darnford.

MY HONOURED MAMMA,-You cannot conceive how you and my dear papa have delighted the heart of my good Mrs. B, and obliged her Mr. B, by the permission you have given me to attend her till the important hour shall be over with her; for the dear lady is exceedingly apprehensive, and one can hardly blame her; since there is hardly such another happy couple in the world.

I am glad to hear that the ceremony is over, so much to both your satisfactions. May this matrimony be but a tenth part as happy as that I am witness to here; and Mr. and Mrs. Murray will have that to boast of, which few married people have, even among those we call happy!

For my part, I believe I shall never care to marry at all for though I cannot be so deserving as Mrs. B——, yet I shall not bear to think of a husband much less excellent than hers. Nay, by what I see in her apprehensions, and conceive of the condition she hourly expects to be in, I don't think a lady can be requited with a less worthy one, for all she is likely to suffer on a husband's account, and for the sake of his family and name.

;

Mrs. Andrews, a discreet worthy soul as ever I knew, and who, in her aspect and behaviour, is far from being a disgrace even to Mr. B's lady, is with her dear daughter, to her no small satisfaction, as you may suppose, who now and then says, What a foolish creature, my dear mother, have you for a daughter! You did not behave so weakly as I do, when you were in the same circumstances, I daresay; and yet you had a dear good husband, though not a rich one, to hope to live for!-But, come, I will have a good heart, to make myself as worthy of the company and cheerings of three such friends, as I am blessed with in my mother, my Miss Darnford, and Mrs. Jervis.

Mr. B——— asked my advice yesterday about having in the

house a midwife, to be at hand at a moment's warning. I told him I feared the sight of such a person would terrify her: And so he instantly started an expedient, of which her mother, Mrs. Jervis, and myself approved, and have put into practice; for this day, Mrs. Harris, a distant relation of mine, though not of yours, sir and madam, is arrived from Essex to make me a visit; and Mr. B― has been so good as to prevail upon her, in compliment to me, as he pretended, to accept of her board in his house, while she stays in town, which she says will be about a week.

Now, you must know that this Mrs. Harris being a discreet, modest, matron-like person, Mrs. B― took a liking to her at first sight, and is already very familiar with her; and understanding that she is a gentlewoman who was a doctor of physic's lady, and takes as much delight in administering to the health of her own sex, as her husband used to do to that of both, Mrs. B says, it is very fortunate that she has so experienced a lady to consult, as she is such a novice in her own case.

Mr. B, however, to carry on the honest imposture better, just now, in presence of Mrs. Harris, and Mrs. Andrews, and me, asked the former, if it was not necessary to have in the house the good woman? This frightened Mrs. B, who turned pale, and said she could not bear the thoughts of it. Mrs. Harris said it was highly necessary that Mrs. B—, if she would not permit the gentlewoman to be in the house, should see her; and that then, she apprehended, there would be no necessity, as she supposed she did not live far off, to have her in the house, since was so uneasy upon that account. This pleased much, and Mrs. Thomas was admitted to attend.

Mrs. B Mrs. B her.

B

Now you must know that this is the assistant of my new relation; and she being apprised of the matter, came; but never did I see so much shyness and apprehension as Mrs. B-showed all the time Mrs. Thomas was with her, holding sometimes her mother, sometimes Mrs. Harris, by the hand, and being ready to sweat with terror.

Mrs. Harris scraped acquaintance with Mrs. Thomas, who, pretending to recollect her, gave Mrs. Harris great praises; which increased Mrs. B's confidence in her: And she undertakes to govern the whole so that the dreaded Mrs. Thomas need not come till the very moment; which is no small pleasure to the over-nice lady. And she seems every hour to be better pleased with Mrs. Harris, who, by her prudent talk, will more and more familiarise her to the circumstance, unawares to herself in a manner. But notwithstanding this precaution of a midwife in the house, Mr. B—— intends to have a gentleman of the profession in readiness, for fear of the worst.

I tell Mr. B- he is very happy in this stratagem; but that I suppose he has been more used to contrivances of this sort than he ought to have been; and was so free as to add, that I presumed his lady is hardly the first he has cheated into a child. And indeed I think Mrs. B's merit to the rest of her sex is very great, were it only in reforming such an uncommonly agreeable and manly rake as this; for no doubt he has done, and would have done, a world of mischief among the thoughtless and indiscreet in upper life; for it seems when he was at the worst, he never made the vulgar the subjects of his vile attempts.

Mrs. B has written a letter, and the superscription following will tell you to whom it is directed: 'To the ' ever-honoured and ever-dear Mr. B, with prayers for 'his health, honour, and prosperity in this world, and everlasting felicity in that to come. P. B.' It is sealed with black wax, and she gave it me this moment, on her being taken ill, to give to Mr. B- if she dies. But GOD, of His mercy, avert that! and preserve the dear lady, for the honour of her sex, and the happiness of all who know her, and particularly for that of your Polly Darnford; for I cannot have a greater loss, I am sure, while my honoured papa and mamma are living: And may that be for many, very many, happy years!

I will not close this letter till all is over: Happily, as I