Your truly romantic letter came
&longs;afe to hand. Indeed, my dear, it would make
a very pretty figure in a novel. A bleeding
heart, &longs;lighted love, and all the et ceteras of
romance, enter into the compo&longs;ition!

Excu&longs;e this raillery; and I will now write
more &longs;eriou&longs;ly. You refer your&longs;elf to my
friend&longs;hip for confolation. It &longs;hall be exerted

[figure description] Page 158.[end figure description]

for the purpo&longs;e. But I mu&longs;t act the part of a
&longs;kilful &longs;urgeon, and probe the wound, which
I undertake to heal.

Where, O Eliza Wharton! Where is that
fund of &longs;en&longs;e, and &longs;entiment which once animated
your engaging form? Where that
&longs;trength of mind, that independence of &longs;oul,
that alacrity and &longs;prightline&longs;s of deportment,
which formerly rai&longs;ed you &longs;uperior to every
adver&longs;e occurrence? Why have you re&longs;igned
the&longs;e valuable endowments, and &longs;uffered yourself
to become the &longs;port of contending pa&longs;&longs;ions?

You have now emerged from that mi&longs;t of
fanciful &longs;olly, which, in a mea&longs;ure ob&longs;cured the
brilliance of your youthful days.

True, you figured among the fir&longs;t rate coquettes;
while your friends, who knew your
accompli&longs;hments, lamented the mi&longs;application of
them; but now they rejoice at the returning
empire of rea&longs;on.

True, you have erred; mi&longs;lead by the gaiety
of your di&longs;po&longs;ition, and that volatility, and
incon&longs;ideration, which were incident to your
years; but you have &longs;een, and nobly confe&longs;&longs;ed
your errors. Why do you talk of &longs;lighted
love? True, Mr. Boyer, &longs;uppo&longs;ing you disregarded
him, transferred his affections to another
object; but have you not your admirers
&longs;till, among men of real merit? Are you not
e&longs;teemed, and care&longs;&longs;ed by numbers, who know
you capable of &longs;hining in a di&longs;tingui&longs;hed &longs;phere

[figure description] Page 159.[end figure description]

of life? Turn then, my friend, from the gloomy
pro&longs;pect, which your di&longs;turbed imagination has
brought into view. Let rea&longs;on and religion
erect their throne in your brea&longs;t; obey their
dictates and be happy. Pa&longs;t experience will
point out the quick&longs;ands which you are to avoid
in your future cour&longs;e.

Date then, from this, a new æra of life; and
may every moment be attended with &longs;elicity.
Follow Mr. Boyer's advice, and forget all former
connections.

Julia accepts your invitation. Nothing &longs;hort
of your reque&longs;t could induce me to part with
her. She is a good girl; and her &longs;ociety will
amu&longs;e and in&longs;truct you.

I am, &c.

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