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And &longs;o my little &longs;entimental Meriel is
really and &longs;eriou&longs;ly deliberating, whether
&longs;he &longs;hall accept a man with &longs;even thousand
a year, &longs;hine forth in all the magnificence
of bridal finery, or remaining a cha&longs;te
ve&longs;tal, breathing pure vows to the consecrated
flame of her fir&longs;t love, continue in a
&longs;tate of dependence to the end of her life.
I charge you, Mi&longs;s Howard, deliberate no
longer. Make ha&longs;te and &longs;end us &longs;ome wedding
favours, and next winter, let me have
the plea&longs;ure of pointing out your elegant
equipage, as it pa&longs;&longs;es my window, to &longs;ome
of my inqui&longs;itive acquaintance, and &longs;aying,
“that is my friend Mrs. Rook&longs;by's carriage.
Then how &longs;hall I exult to receive a curte&longs;y
from a &longs;ide box when you are as fine as
hands can make you, and poor humble me
as plain as po&longs;&longs;ible, &longs;it almo&longs;t oppo&longs;ite you

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in the pit. In the pit you &longs;ay, ble&longs;s me
Amelia, I &longs;hould blu&longs;h to death to be thought
to know any one in the pit. Pardon me,
dear Meriel, I know your good little heart
&longs;o well, I am certain the friend you esteemed
would always be recognized while &longs;he
continued de&longs;erving of your notice, though
poverty and di&longs;tre&longs;s were &longs;trongly marked
by her appearance. And now to be &longs;erious
concerning your letter, Mr. Rook&longs;by appears
to me a weak young man; but there
&longs;eems great goodne&longs;s of heart in him and I
think it would be a charitable action to
&longs;natch him from ruin.—for inevetable ruin
mu&longs;t follow his connection with Clara. I
am informed her &longs;tile of living is the mo&longs;t
extravagant immaginable, and &longs;uch splendid
preparations are making for her accouchment,
that you would think her a dutche&longs;s
of the fir&longs;t rank. And now I am &longs;peaking
of charitable actions, let me repre&longs;ent to my
friend the many aching hearts it will be in
her power to relieve when &longs;he is mi&longs;tre&longs;s of
&longs;uch an ample fortune, as Mr. Rook&longs;by offers
to her acceptance. And again, my
love, con&longs;ider what a relief it will be to the
generous Mrs. Kingly to &longs;ee you &longs;o well settled.
Even Kingly him&longs;elf will be happier
when you are married, for tru&longs;t me while
you remain &longs;ingle he will nouri&longs;h the idea
that your partiality for him is the occa&longs;ion

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of your preferring a &longs;tate of celibacy.—
That you will be happier in your&longs;elf, I am
well convinced. New &longs;cenes will open to
your imagination, pa&longs;t &longs;orrows will be forgotten
and the afflictions of the daughter
&longs;hall be amply repaid by the felicity of the
mother. Ah! my dear Meriel, you mu&longs;t
marry, if it be only to experience the superlative
happine&longs;s of having a daughter,
who&longs;e &longs;oul &longs;hall be the exact model of your
own. Methinks too, my friend, you will
feel your bo&longs;om dilate with plea&longs;ure, when
you can call Mrs. Rook&longs;by by the endearing
name of mother. A heart like yours, &longs;o
formed for all the endearing ties of life when
deprived of its natural relation, &longs;eeks &longs;ome
one on whom to re&longs;t its affection. Accept
then my dear girl, the offered good that
awaits you, let your heart expand to receive
all tho&longs;e delightful &longs;en&longs;ations which re&longs;ult
from a felicitous matrimonial union, and
while you are alternately addre&longs;&longs;ed by the
endearing titles of mother and daughter;
while the man whom you &longs;hall ble&longs;s with
your hand, reveres, admires, adores you,
the di&longs;appointments of your youth &longs;hall be
no more remembered, except it is with a
kind of &longs;miling wonder at their ever having
made you unea&longs;y. My mother bids me tell
you &longs;he wi&longs;hes you may be as truly happy

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as you de&longs;erve, and you will then be superlatively
&longs;o—and &longs;o &longs;ays your