early I experience the ardent longings of one in the way I am in.

But I ought not to set my heart upon anything that is not in my own power, and which may be subject to accidents and the control of others. But let whatever interventions happen, so I have your will to come, I must be rejoiced in your kind intention, although your power should not prove answerable.

And now, my dearest honoured mother, let me tell you, that I build no small consolation in the hope, that I shall, on a certain occasion, have your presence, and be strengthened by your advice and comfortings. For this was a proposal of the best and most considerate of men, who is every day, if he sees but the least thoughtful cloud upon my brow, studying to say or to do something to dispel it. But I believe it is the grateful sense I have of his goodness to me, that makes me thus over-anxious: For the apprehensions of a separation from such an excellent husband, from hopes so cheering, prospects so delightful, must, at times, affect one, let one's affiance and desires be ever so strong where they ought to be preferably placed.-Then one would live to do a little more good, if one might!

I am a sad weak, apprehensive creature; to be sure I am! How much better fitted for the contingencies of life, are the gay, frolic minds, that think not of anything before it comes upon them, than such thoughtful futurity pokers as

I am!

But why should I trouble you, my honoured and dear friends, with my idle fears and follies-just as if nobody was ever in my case before!-Yet weak and apprehensive spirits will be gloomily affected sometimes; and how can one help it? And if I may not hope for the indulgent soothings of the best of parents, and of my Miss Darnford, in whose bosom besides can one disburden one's heart, when oppressed by too great a weight of thought?

You will come, and be in the house with me, my dear mother, for some time, when my best friend sends to you: Won't you? And you will spare my dear mother, my

best of fathers: Won't you?-Yes, yes, I am sure you will.

And I am sure my Miss Darnford will be with me, if she can; and these are my comforts. But how I run on!—For I am so much a novice, that—————

But I will say no more, than that I am, my honoured father and mother, your ever dutiful daughter; and, my dear Miss Darnford,

Your affectionate and obliged

P. B——.

LETTER XL.

Miss Darnford to Mrs. B.

MY DEAR MRS. B—,—We are greatly obliged to you for every particular article in your entertaining Journal, which you have brought, sooner than we wished, to a conclusion. We cannot express how much we admire you for your judicious charities, so easy to be practised, yet so uncommon in the manner; and for your inimitable conduct in the affair of your frail Polly and the silly Mr. H———.

Your account of the visit of the four rakes, of your parting with your noble guests; your verses, and Mr. H's letter (an original indeed!) have all greatly entertained us, as your prerogative hints* have amused us: But we defer our opinion of those hints till we have the case more fully explained.

But, my dear friend, are you not in danger of falling into a too thoughtful and gloomy way? By the latter part of your last letter, we are afraid you are; and my mamma, and Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Peters enjoin me to write to caution you on that head. But there is the less need of it, because your prudence will always suggest to you reasons, as it does in that very letter, that must outbalance our fears. Think little, and hope much, is a good lesson in your See pages 5 and 6.

case, and to a lady of your temper; and I hope Lady Davers will not in vain have given you that caution. After all, I daresay, your thoughtfulness is but symptomatical, and will go off in proper time.

Meantime, permit me to choose you a subject that will certainly divert you. You must know, that I have been a diligent observer of the conduct of people in the married life to each other; and have often pronounced, that there cannot be any tolerable happiness in it, unless the one or the other makes such sacrifices of their inclinations and humours as renders it a state very little desirable to free and generous minds. Of this I see an instance in our own family; for though my papa and mamma live very happily, it is all owing to one side; I need not say which. And this, I am sure, must be the case between Mr. B— and you: For you must, even through fire, if required, sacrifice to Moloch. I know your prudence will oblige you to make the best of it: and like a contented good wife, you will say you have your own will in everything: A good reason why, because you make your own will his. This, long ago, we all agreed, any lady must do, be her quality ever so great, who would be happy with Mr. B. Yet my sister once hoped (entre nous) to be the person. Fine work would there have been between two such spirits, you may believe!

is your

But to wave this; let me ask you, Mrs. Bmonarch's conduct to you as respectful, I do not mean fond, when you are alone together, as when in company? -Forgive me, madam.-But you have hinted two or three times, in your letters, that he always is most complaisant to you in company; and you observe, that wisely does he act in this, because he thereby does credit with everybody to his own choice. I make no doubt that the many charming scenes which your genius and fine behaviour furnish out to him, must, as often as they happen, inspire him with joy, and even rapture; and must make him love you more for your mind than for your person :-But these rapturous scenes last very little longer than the present

moment. What I want to know is, whether in the steadier parts of life, when you are both nearer the level of us common folks, he gives up anything of his own will in compliment to yours? Whether he acts the part of a respectful, polite gentleman in his behaviour to you; and breaks not into your retirements, in the dress and with the brutal roughness of a fox-hunter?-Making no difference perhaps between the field or his stud, I will not say kennel, and your chamber or closet?-Policy, for his own credit sake, as I mentioned, accounts to me well for his complaisance to you in public. But his regular and uniform behaviour to you in your retirements, when the conversation between you turns upon usual and common subjects, and you have not obliged him to rise to admiration of you, by such scenes as those of your two parsons, Sir Jacob Swynford, and the like; are what would satisfy my curiosity, if you please to give me an instance or two of it.

Now, my dearest Mrs. B——, if you can give me a case, partly or nearly thus circumstanced, you will highly oblige me.

First; where he has borne with any infirmity of your own; and I know of none where you can give him such an opportunity, except you get into a vapourish habit, by giving way to a temper too thoughtful and apprehensive:

Next; that, in complaisance to your will, he recedes from his own in any one instance:

Next; whether he breaks not into your retirements unceremoniously, and without apology or concern; as I hinted above.

You know, my dear Mrs. B, all I mean by what I have said; and if you have any pretty conversation in memory, by the recital of which this my bold curiosity may be answered, pray oblige me with it; and we shall be able to judge by it, not only of the inborn generosity which all that know Mr. B- have been willing to attribute to him, but of the likelihood of the continuance of both your felicities, upon terms suitable to the characters of a fine

lady and fine gentleman; and, of consequence, worthy of the imitation of the most delicate of our own sex.

This is the task your Polly Darnford presumes to set her beloved Mrs. B- -. And why? For your own diversion, in the first place. For my edification, in the next. And that when I have the pleasure I hope for, of attending you in London, I may see what there is in the conduct of you both to admire, or to remonstrate against in the third. For where there is so little wanting to perfection between you, I shall be very free with you both, in my censures, if he imposes, through prerogative, or you permit, through an undue compliance, what I shall imagine ought not to be in either case. I know you will excuse me for what I have said; and well you may, since I am sure I shall have nothing to do, when I am with you, but to admire and to imitate you; and to wish, if ever I marry, I may have just such a husband (though not quite so haughty, perhaps) as Mr. B. But pray let not the lordly man see this letter, nor your answer, nor the copy of it, till you may conclude I have the latter, if then; that you may not be under any undue influences.

Your obliging longings, my beloved dear lady, for my company, I hope, will be soon, very soon, answered. My papa was so pleased with your sweet earnestness on this occasion, that he joined with my mamma; and both, with equal cheerfulness, said, you should not be many days in London before me. Murray and his mistress go on swimmingly, and have not yet had one quarrel. The only person, he, of either sex, that ever knew Nancy so intimately, and so long, without one!

This is all I have to say at present, when I have assured you, my dear Mrs. B—, how much I am

Your obliged and affectionate

POLLY DARNford.

I must add, however, that I expect from you almost as many letters as there are post days, between this and