TO MISS ELIZA WHARTON.
Boston.
MY DEAR FRIEND,

I have received your letters, and mu&longs;t
own to you that the peru&longs;al of them gave me
pain. Pardon my &longs;u&longs;picions, Eliza: they
are excited by real friend&longs;hip. Julia, you &longs;ay,
approves not Major Sandford's particular attention
to you. Neither do I. If you recollect,
and examine his conver&longs;ation in his conciliatory
vi&longs;it, you will find it replete with sentiments,
for the avowal of which, he ought to
be bani&longs;hed from all virtuous &longs;ociety.

Does he not in&longs;idiou&longs;ly declare that you
are the only object of his affections; that his
union with another was formed from interested
views; and though that other is acknowledged
to be amiable and excellent, &longs;till he has
not a heart to be&longs;tow, and expects not happiness
with her? Does this di&longs;cover even the appearance
of amendment? Has he not, by &longs;al&longs;e
preten&longs;ions, mi&longs;lead a virtuous woman, and induced
her to form a connection with him? She

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was a &longs;tranger to his manner of life; and doubtless
allured, as you have been, by flattery,
deceit, and external appearance, to tru&longs;t his
honor; little thinking him wholly devoid of
that &longs;acred tie! What is the reward of her
confidence? In&longs;en&longs;ibility to her charms,
neglect of her per&longs;on, and profe&longs;&longs;ed attachment
to another!

Is he the man, my dear Eliza, who&longs;e friendship
you wi&longs;h to cultivate? Can that heavenly
pa&longs;&longs;ion re&longs;ide in a brea&longs;t, which is the &longs;eat of
treachery, duplicity, and ingratitude? You
are too &longs;en&longs;ible of its purity and worth, to
&longs;uppo&longs;e it po&longs;&longs;ible. The confe&longs;&longs;ions of his
own mouth condemn him. They convince
me that he is &longs;till the abandoned libertine;
and that marriage is but the cloak of his
intrigues. His officious attentions to you are
alarming to your friends. You own your mind
weakened, and peculiarly &longs;u&longs;ceptible of tender
impre&longs;&longs;ions. Beware how you receive them
from him. Li&longs;ten not a moment to his flattering
profe&longs;&longs;ions. It is an in&longs;ult upon your
under&longs;tanding for him to offer them. It is
derogatory to virtue for you to hear them.

Slight not the opinion of the world. We
are dependent beings; and while the &longs;malle&longs;t
traces of virtuous &longs;en&longs;ibility remain, we mu&longs;t
feel the force of that dependence, in a greater
or le&longs;s degree. No female, who&longs;e mind is

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uncorrupted, can be indifferent to reputation.
It is an ine&longs;timable jewel, the lo&longs;s of which
can never be repaired. While retained, it
affords con&longs;cious peace to our own minds,
and en&longs;ures the e&longs;teem and re&longs;pect of all
around us.

Ble&longs;&longs;ed with the company of &longs;o disinterested
and faithful a friend, as Julia Granby, &longs;ome
deference is certainly due to her opinion
and advice. To an enlarged under&longs;tanding,
a cultivated ta&longs;te, and an exten&longs;ive knowledge
of the world, &longs;he unites the mo&longs;t liberal sentiments,
with a benevolence, and candor of
di&longs;po&longs;ition, which render her equally deserving
of your confidence and affection.

I cannot relinqui&longs;n my claim to a vi&longs;it from
you this winter. Marriage has not alieniated,
or weakened my regard formy friends. Come,
then, to your faithful Lucy. Have you forrows?
I will &longs;ooth, and alleviate them. Have
you cares? I will di&longs;pel them. Have you
plea&longs;ures? I will heighten them. Come then,
let me fold you to my expecting heart. My
happine&longs;s will be partly &longs;u&longs;pended till your
&longs;ociety render it complete. Adieu.

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