TO MR. T. SELBY.
Hampshire.
DEAR SIR.

I believe that I owe you an apology
for my long &longs;ilence. But my time has been
much engro&longs;&longs;ed of late; and my mind much
more &longs;o. When it will be otherwi&longs;e, I cannot
fore&longs;ee. I fear, my friend, that there is &longs;ome
foundation for your &longs;u&longs;picions re&longs;pecting my
beloved Eliza. What pity it is, that &longs;o fair a
form, &longs;o accompli&longs;hed a mind, &longs;hould be tarnished,
in the &longs;malle&longs;t degree, by the follies of coquetry!
If this be the fact, which I am loth to
believe, all my regard for her &longs;hall never make
me the dupe of it.

When I arrived at her re&longs;idence, at New-Haven,
where, I told you in my la&longs;t, I was &longs;oon to
go, &longs;he gave me a mo&longs;t cordial reception. Her
whole behavior to me was corre&longs;pondent with
tho&longs;e &longs;entiments of e&longs;teem and affection which
&longs;he mode&longs;tly avowed. She permitted me to accompany
her to Hartford, to re&longs;tore her to her
mother, and to declare my wi&longs;h to receive her
again from her hand. Thus far, all was

[figure description] Page 108.[end figure description]

harmony and happine&longs;s. As all my wi&longs;hes were
con&longs;i&longs;tent with virtue and honor, &longs;he readily indulged
them. She took apparent plea&longs;ure in
my company, encouraged my hopes of a future
union, and li&longs;tened to the tender accents of
love.

But the &longs;cenes of gaiety, which invited her
attention, rever&longs;ed her conduct. The delightful
hours of mutual confidence, of &longs;entimental
conver&longs;e, and of the interchange of re&longs;ined affection,
were no more! In&longs;tead of the&longs;e, parties
were formed, unplea&longs;ing to my ta&longs;te; and every
opportunity was embraced to join in diver&longs;ions,
in which &longs;he knew I could not con&longs;i&longs;tently take
a &longs;hare. I, however, acquie&longs;ced in her plea&longs;ure,
though I &longs;ometimes thought my&longs;elf neglected,
and even hinted it to her mother. The old lady
apologi&longs;ed for her daughter, by alledging that
&longs;he had been ab&longs;ent for a long time; that her
acquaintances were rejoiced at her return, and
welcomed her by &longs;triving to promote her amnsement.

One of her mo&longs;t intimate friends was married
during my &longs;tay; and &longs;he appeared deeply
intere&longs;ted in the event. She &longs;pent &longs;everal days
in a&longs;&longs;i&longs;ting her, previous to the celebration. I
re&longs;ided, in the mean time, at her mamma's, visiting
her at her friend's, where Major Sanford,
among others, was received as a gue&longs;t. Mrs.
Summer acquainted me that &longs;he had prevailed on
Mi&longs;s Wharton to go and &longs;pend a few weeks
with her at Bo&longs;ton, whither &longs;he was removing;

[figure description] Page 109.[end figure description]

and urged my accompanying them. I endeavored
to excu&longs;e my&longs;elf, as I had been ab&longs;ent
from my people a con&longs;iderable time, and my
return was now expected. But their importunity
was &longs;o great, and Eliza's declaration that
it would be very agreeable to her, &longs;o tempting,
that I con&longs;ented. Here I took lodgings and
&longs;pent about a week, taking every opportunity
to conver&longs;e with Eliza, &longs;triving to di&longs;cover her
real di&longs;po&longs;ition towards me. I mentioned the
inconvenience of vi&longs;iting her &longs;o often as I wi&longs;hed,
and &longs;ugge&longs;ted my de&longs;ire to enter, as &longs;oon as
might be, into a family relation. I painted in
the mo&longs;t alluring colours the plea&longs;ures re&longs;ulting
from dome&longs;tic tranquillity, mutual confidence,
and conjugal affection; and in&longs;i&longs;ted on her declaring
frankly whether &longs;he de&longs;igned to &longs;hare this
happine&longs;s with me, and when it &longs;hould commence.
She owned that &longs;he intended to give
me her hand; but when &longs;he &longs;hould be ready,
&longs;he could not yet determine. She pretended a
promi&longs;e from me to wait her time; to con&longs;ent
that &longs;he &longs;hould &longs;hare the plea&longs;ures of the sashionable
world, as long as, &longs;he cho&longs;e, &c.

I then attempted to convince her of her mistaken
ideas of plea&longs;ure; that the &longs;cenes of
di&longs;&longs;ipation, of which &longs;he was &longs;o pa&longs;&longs;ionately &longs;ond,
afforded no true enjoyment; that the adulation
of the coxcomb could not give durability to her
charms, or &longs;ecure the approbation of the wife and
good; nor could the fa&longs;hionable amu&longs;ements

[figure description] Page 110.[end figure description]

of brilliant a&longs;&longs;emblies, and crouded theatres
furni&longs;h the mind with

The&longs;e friendly &longs;ugge&longs;tions, I found were considered
as the theme of a prie&longs;t; and my de&longs;ire
to detach her from &longs;uch empty pur&longs;uits, as the
&longs;elfi&longs;hne&longs;s of a lover. She was even offended at
my freedom; and warmly affirmed, that no one
had a right to arraign her conduct. I mentioned
Major Sanford who was then in town, and who
(though &longs;he went to places of public re&longs;ort with
Mr. and Mrs. Sumner) always met and gallanted
her home. She rallied me upon my jealou&longs;y,
as &longs;he termed it; wi&longs;hed that I would attend her
my&longs;elf, and then &longs;he &longs;hould need no other gallant.
I an&longs;wered that I had rather re&longs;ign that
honor to another; but wi&longs;hed, for her &longs;ake,
that he might be a gentleman who&longs;e character
would not di&longs;grace the company with which he
a&longs;&longs;ociated. She appeared morti&longs;ied and chagrined
in the extreme. However, &longs;he studiously
&longs;uppre&longs;&longs;ed her emotions; and even &longs;oothed
me with the blandi&longs;hments of female &longs;oftne&longs;s.
We parted amicably. She promi&longs;ed to return
&longs;oon, and prepare for a compliance with my
wi&longs;hes. I cannot re&longs;u&longs;e to believe her! I cannot
cea&longs;e to love her! My heart is in her possession.
She has a perfect command of my passions.
Per&longs;ua&longs;ion dwells on her tongue. With
all the boa&longs;ted fortitude and re&longs;olution of our

[figure description] Page 111.[end figure description]

&longs;ex, we are but mere machines. Let love once
pervade our brea&longs;ts; and its object may mould
us into any form that plea&longs;es her fancy, or even
caprice!

I have ju&longs;t received a letter from Eliza, informing
me of her return to Hartford. To
morrow I &longs;hall &longs;et out on a vi&longs;it to the dear girl;
for, my friend, notwith&longs;tanding all her &longs;oibles,
&longs;he is very dear to me. Before you hear from me
again, I expect that the happy day will be fixed;
the day which &longs;hall unite, in the mo&longs;t &longs;acred
bands, this lovely maid, and your faithful
friend,