I HAVE received, and read again and
again, your friendly epi&longs;tle. My rea&longs;on and
judgment entirely coincide with your opinion;
but my fancy claims &longs;ome &longs;hare in the deci&longs;ion:
and I cannot yet tell which will preponderate.
This was the day fixed for deciding Mr. Boyer's
cau&longs;e. My friends here gave me a long
differtation on his merits. Your letter, likewi&longs;e,

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had its weight, and I was candidly &longs;umming up
the pros and cons in the garden, whither I had
walked (Gen. Richman and lady having rode
out) when I was informed that he was waiting
in the parlor. I went immediately in (a good
&longs;ymptom, you will &longs;ay) and received him very
graciou&longs;ly. After the fir&longs;t compliments were
over, he &longs;eemed eager to improve the opportunity
to enter directly on the &longs;ubject of his pre&longs;ent
vi&longs;it. It is needle&longs;s for me to recite to you,
who have long been acquainted with the whole
proce&longs;s of court&longs;hip, the declarations, propositions,
prote&longs;tations, intreaties, looks, words and
actions of a lover. They are, I believe, much
the &longs;ame, in the whole &longs;ex, allowing for their
different di&longs;po&longs;itions, educations, and characters.
But you are impatient I know for the conclusion.
You have ha&longs;tily peru&longs;ed the preceding
lines, and are &longs;training your eye forward
to my part of the farce; for &longs;uch it may prove
after all. Well then, not to play too long with
the curio&longs;ity, which I know to be excited, and
actuated by real friend&longs;hip, I will relieve it. I
think you would have been plea&longs;ed to have &longs;een
my gravity, on this important occa&longs;ion. With
all the candor and frankne&longs;s which I was capable
of a&longs;&longs;uming, I thus an&longs;wered his long harangue,
to which I had li&longs;tened, without interrupting
him. Self knowledge, &longs;ir, that mo&longs;t
important of all &longs;ciences, I have yet to learn.
Such have been my &longs;ituations in life, and the
natural volatility of my temper, that I have

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looked but little into my own heart, in regard
to its future wi&longs;hes and views. From a &longs;cene
of con&longs;traint and confinement, ill &longs;uited to my
years and inclination, I have ju&longs;t launched into
&longs;ociety. My heart beats high in expectation
of its fancied joys. My &longs;anguine imagination
paints, in alluring colors, the charms of youth
and freedom, regulated by virtue and innocence.
Of the&longs;e, I wi&longs;h to partake. While I own myself
under obligations for the e&longs;teem which you
are plea&longs;ed to profe&longs;s for me, and in return, acknowledge,
that neither your per&longs;on nor manners
are di&longs;agreeable to me, I recoil at the
thought of immediately forming a connection,
which mu&longs;t confine me to the duties of demostic
life, and make me dependent for happine&longs;s,
perhaps too, for &longs;ub&longs;i&longs;tence, upon a cla&longs;s of
people, who will claim the right of &longs;crutini&longs;ing
every part of my conduct; and by cen&longs;uring
tho&longs;e &longs;oibles, which I am con&longs;cious of not having
prudence to avoid, may render me completely
mi&longs;erable. While, therefore, I receive
your vi&longs;its, and cultivate towards you &longs;entiments
of friend&longs;hip and e&longs;teem, I would not have you
con&longs;ider me as confined to your &longs;ociety, or obligated
to a future connection. Our &longs;hort acquaintance
renders it impo&longs;&longs;ible for me to decide
what the operations of my mind may hereafter
be. You mu&longs;t either quit the &longs;ubject, or
leave me to the exerci&longs;e of my free will, which
perhaps may coincide with your pre&longs;ent wi&longs;hes.
Madam, &longs;aid he, far is the wi&longs;h from me to

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restrain your per&longs;on or mind. In your brea&longs;t I
will repo&longs;e my cau&longs;e. It &longs;hall be my &longs;tudy to
merit a return of affection; and I doubt not,
but genero&longs;ity and honor will influence your
conduct towards me. I expect &longs;oon to &longs;ettle
among a generous and enlightened people,
where I flatter my&longs;elf I &longs;hall be exempt from
tho&longs;e difficulties, and embarra&longs;&longs;ments, to which
too many of my brethren are &longs;ubject. The
local &longs;ituation is agreeable, the &longs;ociety refined
and poli&longs;hed; and if, in addition, I may
obtain that felicity which you are formed to
be&longs;tow, in a family connection, I &longs;hall be happy
indeed.

He &longs;poke with empha&longs;is. The tear of sensibility
&longs;parkled in his eye. I involuntarily gave
him my hand, which he pre&longs;&longs;ed with ardor to
his lips. Then ri&longs;ing, he walked to the window
to conceal his emotion. I rang the bell
and ordered tea; during, and after which, we
&longs;hared that &longs;ocial conver&longs;e, which is the true
ze&longs;t of life, and which, I am per&longs;uaded, none
but virtuous minds can participate. General
Richman and lady returned with the &longs;hades
of the evening. The penetrating eye of
my cou&longs;in traced in our countenances the
progre&longs;s of the cau&longs;e, and the &longs;mile of approbation
animated hers. Mr. Boyer a&longs;ked the favor
of my company to ride to morrow morning,
which was granted. He tarried to &longs;upper, and
took his leave. I retired immediately to my
chamber, to which I was followed by Mrs.

[figure description] Page 043.[end figure description]

Richman. I related to her the conver&longs;ation,
and the encouragement which I had given to Mr.
Boyer. She was plea&longs;ed; but in&longs;i&longs;ted that I
&longs;hould own my&longs;elf &longs;omewhat engaged to him.
This, I told her I &longs;hould never do to any man,
before the indi&longs;&longs;oluble knot was tied. That, &longs;aid
I, will be time enough to re&longs;ign my freedom.
She replied that I had wrong ideas of freedom,
and matrimony; but &longs;he hoped that Mr. Boyer
would happily rectify them.

I have now, my dear friend, given you an
account of my pre&longs;ent &longs;ituation, and leave you
to judge for your&longs;elf concerning it. Write me
your opinion, and believe me ever yours.