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Mifs Willis to Miss Greville.

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der the dominion of the little, Blind
God. Sighs are his incenfe, his li-
batións tears.' But love, they fay,
cannot exift without hope; who knows,
Lucy, but Mr. Gordon may feel as
much for me as I do for him. Bleft
thought! I muft, I will indulge thee
till I know the contrary.
"How
happy were my days till now, I ne'er
did forrows feel." True, very true
are those lines; but in this world we
muft not always expect one ferene

ASERIES of LETTER S. calm: the forms we have to go through

(Continued from Page 653.)
LETTER VII.

Mifs WALLIS to Miss GREVILLE.

Berry Hill.

O my dear Lucy that you were looked maid holi

in this life are many, and must be endured. Yesterday afternoon I went to Percy-Place-there was only Louifa in the room; I fat down befide her-we were both at work; Mr. Gordon came in foon afterwards, and threw himself down on the fopha, and, I thought, "Come, Mr. but here with me! The pleafure Gordon," faid Louifa, "you feem not I always experience when in your fo- to know what to do with yourself, will ciety would in fome measure relieve my you take up that book that lies on the fpirits, which are in no enviable way window and read to us?" He comat prefent; for what with my dear mo- plied in an inftant: the book was Pope, ther's illness, (though he is now, and he read Eloíza to Abelard; how thank God, almoft recovered) and melodious is his voice! with what rapoh fatal truth-but I cannot write it. ture did I liften to him! As it provNow I hear you fay, "Why fhoulded a wet afternoon there was no fuch Sophia miftruft her Lucy, her friend, thing as walking out, fo after tea the whom she has been fo long ufed to tell gentlemen took it by turns to read to any thing that made her uneafy "-us, while we worked; what a delightVery true, my dear, my fecret would ful time I had of it! Who can they be as fafe in your bofom as it would be be! I fee two people coming up the in my own it would indeed be un-park-I mult leave off to look.-'Tis generous; and I fhould be unworthy. Mr. Gordon, Mrs. Percy, and Charles. the friendship you have always and Adieu, my dear Lucy, I cannot write ftill continue to profefs for me, were I any more.- -You will not wonder, I not to disclose every fecret wifh and dare fay, when you know who it is thought of my heart to one whom I that is coming. have been fo long used to

con

Your's,

SOPHIA WALLIS.

fide in at all times. In my laft letter that I wrote to you, you may perhaps remember that 1 gave you an account of the arrival of Captain Percy's and Louifa's friends-would to heaven Mr. Gordon had never come to Percy Place, I might then not have known the pangs of love; for it is to him, my dear Lucy, the heart of your Sophia goodnefs and generofity, for the

is flown to. The first time that I faw him I felt fomething that I had never before experienced in any man; but fince that I have difcovered I am un

The SCHOOL for WIVES.
A DOMESTIC HISTORY.
(Continued from Page 652.)

TOR was this a fudden fart of

more he reflected on what he had done, the more pleasure the felt from her recollections. She füffered not a 4 S 2 week

week to pafs over without going to fee her charge, to fee how the perfon in trufted with him behaved: had he been in reality her own, and heir to the most extenfive poffeffions, her diligence in looking after the management of him could not have been greater.

Palamon all this while perfifted in his attachment to Belinda, though her ill conduct gave him frequent occafions for quarrelling with her, and they were feveral times on the point of feeing each other no more. Their long intimacy however, furnifhed fufficient matter for cenfure, and those who were informed of their more criminal interviews, in private,, fpoke with fo little referve concerning them, that their intimacy was talked of at all the teatables in town.

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time brought himself to do justice to the one, and, entirely ceafed to have any esteem for the other; but the vir tues of Amafina had already been fufficiently tried, and heaven thought f to reward her for what the had endured, when the, fo long accustomed to ful ferings, leaft expected relief.

By habituating herfelf to perform the duties of a mother to the child a Belinda, fhe grew really in love with him; and the pity which the first fe was gradually converted into a tende attachment. When Palamon was 2. broad fhe would often cause him to be brought to her, and fending for her own at the fame time, divert herfei with the looks which the two children caft at each other. While fhe was one day employed in this manner Pa lamon unexpectedly returned, and came directly into the room where they wer Whatever indifference he felt for his wife, he had always fhewn the greateft fondness for her fon: he now, therefore, took him up in his arme, and kiffed him.

"Here is another little one, fail Amafina fmiling, who also has a claim to fome fhare of your kindness," prefenting Belinda's child to him.

By what right, madam ?" replied Palamon, in the fame gay tone. "As he is mine," anfwered the. "Yours !"

For this intimacy Palamon's father, a man remarkable for his fobriety and refpe&table deportment, to whom Amafina had, by her numerous virtues, rendered herfelfextremely dear, corrected him in the feverest manner, and upon his denying what he was charged with, with the addition of certain infinuations, as if his wife had made complaints against him, replied, "No Sir, the "bears all the injuries you do her with too much patience, and either does not fee, or will not fee what is glaringly obvious to the whole world." He then launched out into many encomiums on the fweetnefs of her difpofition. "Whether her complaifance, said he, arifes from an unfufpecting temper, or from her prudence in aiming to regain "My complaifance for you, madam, your love by fuch ways as are moft may carry me great lengths, faid Palikely to fucceed, her behaviour is cer- lamon, as I know you do nothing tainly meritorious, and ought to be without being able to give a reafon highly rated: you thould methinks be for it; I fhould be glad, therefore, to aflamed, added he, with your under-learn the ground of fo extraordinary standing, to reflect upon the part you a request." have acted, with regard to your exemplary wife, a part which has obliged her to exert all her virtue and affection to forgive."

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"Yes-he is mine by adoption; i and I must have you look upon him as yours likewife."

As one of the children now began to cry a little, Amafina ordered the nurses to take them into another room. She then, fiuding Palamon in a very good humour, was prompted by an ir refiftible impulfe, to speak to him in the following manner.

Thefe reproving addreffes were not quite thrown away upon Palamon, and it is highly probable that in fairly balancing the folid merits of the wife a- "The child you, faw, faid fhe, in a gainst the light and frivolous allure-more ferious tone, and whom I have ments of the mifirefs, he would have in actually taken under my care, derives

Palamon and Amafina, or School for Wives.

his birth from two perfons of fashion; but as he was illegally begotten, the regard for reputation prevailed over the feelings of nature; and I found this innocent little creature, a wretched outcaft, either to perish, or to live to endure miferies worse than death. This idea fhocked me fo much that I refolved to (natch him from the woes with which he was threatened, and to provide for him out of my own purse, in a manner which would not make his life a load to him."

"This is an action truly charitable, faid Palamon, a little perplexed, but this is not the answer I expected; for by the fame mode of conduct your pity may be extended to hundreds in a fimilar ftyle of diftrefs: fomething, therefore, more forcible than mere compaffion must have attached you fo ftrongly to this child."

Amafina having forefeen what reply her husband would make, was debat ing within herself, while he delivered it, whether it would be beft for her to evade an explanation of the affair, or to make the falleft discoveries relating to it. Not being yet able to determine how to act, the appeared as confufed and embarraffed as she would have been during the acknowledgment of fome heinous mifdemeanor. She faid, "Something there is indeed.”

Here her voice and courage both failed her, and he was utterly incapable of giving him the defired fatisfaction.

685

nature inform you that my affection for the father makes his offspring, whoever is the mother of it, dear to me? I cannot hate Belinda fo much as I love Palamon; and while I am performing maternal offices to this child, I forget the fhare which he has in him to remember what I owe to him as yours."

The reader's own imagination muit here fupply the place of defcription. No words can give a juft idea of what a hufband, in Palamon's fituation; mult have felt.-To have his criminal conduct thus plainly made known to her from whom he most defired to conceal it-to receive the higheft obligations, when he could have only expected refentful language-to hear the detection of what he had done difcovered to him by the injured perfon, in a manner as if she herfelf, not he, had been the aggreffor! His mind was fo agitated by remorfe, aftonishment, and fhame, that he was not able to return the flightest answer to what he had faid. He walked several times about the room with a difordered motion, endeavouring to recover a fortitude which feemed fo neceffary for him ou this occafion, but in vain: at last, throwing himself into an eafy chair, juft oppofite to that in which his wife was fitting, he exclaimed, "Good God! am I awake? can there poffibly be fuch a woman in the world?”

The fweet-tempered Amafina could not fee her husband in this agitated Palamon was confounded beyond ftate without great concern; a conmeasure he knew not what to think cern which made her almoft repent of of a behaviour fo new; a behaviour having occafioned them. She ran hafwhich feemed to denote that his agi-tily to him, and throwing her arms tated wife laboured with a fecret of about his neck-" My dear, dear Pavery great importance. Having look-lamon, faid fhe, do not be troubled to ed ftedfastly at her for fome moments, find that I am in poffeffion of a fecret and perceived that the changed colour, which I never fought after, and which that her eyes were fixed on the floor, I have not, from the time it was in a he grew quite impatient for the cer- manner forced upon me, divulged to tainty of what he then began to fuf any perfon in the world.-Confider pect, and eagerly faid, "what fome- me as I am-your wife - part of your thing "This is a myftery. "A felf, and you will then be affured you mystery, replied flie, interrupting him, can be guilty of no errors which I which I with you would not oblige me fhall not readily forgive, and carefulto explain! Oh Palamon! continuedly conceal.-Judge of my fincerity, he, after a paufe; does no instinct in continued fhe, renewing her endear

ments,

ments, by my behaviour, which has not, you are fenfible, been changed in confequence of my having been acquainted with this affair,

"O Amafina" cried he, preffing her tenderly to his bofom, "I am indeed fenfible how little have deferved the ftriking proofs you have given me of the extreme goodnels of your heart. My foul overflows with gratitude-with love.-Yet how can I atone for my part criminality?

66

mixture of many contemptuous re flections on his amiable and exemplary wife.-By the firft he was totally unmoved, but the fevere expreffions relating to Amalina, totally extinguished all the remains of regard and confideration he felt for her. He tore the letter into a thoufand pieces, and to fhew his contempt and resentment, returned the scattered fragment to the illiberal and abufive writer of it, under a fealed cover, without adding a fingle word in return.

By mentioning it no more," reT'hus ended his criminal connection plied fhe, haftily; "by letting me enjoy a fhare of that heart which I can-with Belinda, and Amafina enjoyed the not hope, for want of fufficient charms, recompence of her virtue in the conwholly to poffefs." tinued tenderness of a husband, who To thefe endearing expreffions he never would have loved her, perhaps, could only answer with broken fen-half fo well, had he not had an optences; but thofe fentences gave her all the fatisfaction fhe wished for, by convincing her that her conqueft, over him was perfect and fincere: and the would, at that moment, have felt no alloy to her transports, if fhe had not found it a very difficult task to prevail on Palamon to forgive himself.

portunity of being fo well acquainted with thofe virtues in her on which his affections were durably grounded.

The compaffion which Amafina had difcovered for the child of Belinda was not of a fugitive nature; it did not arife from a temporary art of benevolence. She perfifted in the ten, derelt care of him, had him educated like her own fon, and by way of alleviation for the misfortune of his birth, prevailed on Palamon to fet apart a confiderable fum of money, for the putting him into a genteel and profit

As he was delirous that the fhould have nothing, in future, to apprehend from Belinda, he wrote a letter to that lady immediately, informing her, that being thoroughly fenfible of the injury he had done the beft of wives, the beft of women, he was determined to pur-able occupation. fue no pleasures in which fhe had no fhare. After having represented to her the shame and folly of carrying on a connection like theirs, in the most pathetic terms, he advised her to think of living in fuch a manner as to gain that reputation in the world which he had, he confeffed, with much penitence, contributed to make her lofe:

affuring her, at the fame time, that the

refolution he had taken to fee her no more, was not to be fhaken by any arguments in her power, to advance; intreating her alfo, to endeavour to follow his example, and to forget all that had paffed between them.

Palamon defired no answer to this letter, but he received one, filled with the most violent and reproachful language against himself, with an inter

6

THE

MY

MATRO N.

By Mrs. GREY.

NUMBER LXXVIII.

daughter and I having staid in London till the marriage of Charles Staples, and the delivery of Mrs. Dawfon were over, at length reached the manor, to which we were accompanied by Mr. Stanly and Mr. Dawfon; the latter thinking that as he left his giddy wife fafe in her bed, there was no immediate danger of her going upon any extravagant party of pleafure during his abfence, and that he might venture to make a vifit for

The Matron.

No. LXXVIII.

687

ornaments appear." Her face glowed with joy at the fatisfaction which he expreffed, and fhe rewarded him with a look of the fincerest affection. Dawson, in the mean time, could hardly fupprefs a figh, while he uttered the fol

that Emily was as fond of my fon, as Mrs. Mancel is of yours! Let her come down, then, faid the good natured Mr. Hodges, and learn of our Sophia how to become at once the affectionate wife, the fond mother," and the tender nurfe."-The heart-felt fatisfaction which I experienced, on

ly anfwer my moft fanguine expecta tions, made me, I confess, forget that I am addreffing myself to the public, who may, poffibly, be tired of fuch domeftic communications. Yet, when I confider that Mrs. Mancel, both as a wife and a mother, is held up as a pattern, and that no woman need be afhamed to follow her exemplary conduct, I do not wish to check the effufions of my heart upon fo laudable an occafion; efpecially when even the two fingle men who now rank under

a few days to my fon, and find her in the fame place at his return: I fhall be very much miftaken, however, if she does not play him fome trick whilst he is out of her fight, though it may not be of fo much confequence, as if he was able to leave her apart-lowing wifh-what would I not give ment.--Mr. Dawfon has conduct ed himself from his first becoming a father with fo much propriety, and feems fo defirous of forming his own manners and the economy of his family, after the example of Mr. and Mrs. Mancel, that he rifes greatly in our esteem. We have only to wifh that Emily was equally defirous offeeing my favourite grand-child fo fulcopying fo excellent a model as her coutin Sophia, who rejoiced to fee us, and prefented her little fon to us, whom we had the fatisfaction to find a thriving, healthy child, and a great credit to the attention his fond mother has bestowed on him. The little rogue, though he is fo young, appears fo fenfible of her being an excellent nurfe, that he does not like to be taken from her; he always ftretchés out his little arms whenever he comes in fight both he and Mr. Mancel doat on him fo much, that I wish theythe title of old batchelors, gave the may not fpoil him. We had the plea ftrongeft proofs of their fenfibility. As fure allo to meet Mr. Hodges, the uncle for Mr. Hodges, he declared he was of Mr. Mancel, who is so pleased with fo tranfported with the marriage flate,` this young addition to his family, from having been witnefs to his nethat he has promised to make him his phew's felicity, that were it not for heir, and to fhew the great fatisfaction the little faucy fellow to whom he had he feels at Sophia's taking fo much promifed to be a father, he verily be care of his boy, as he calls him, haslieved he fhould be tempted to commit made her a prefent of a pair of brace-matrimony himself. Mr. Stanly relets with nine rows of pearls, faftened plied, with one of his usual arch looks, with lockets of his hair fet with bril- that he was not at all furprised to find liants: he defired to put them on him- the most determined batchelor feel felf, and faid thofe were ornaments himself an advocate for wedlock, after which the might wear even while fhe having feen so beautiful a picture of was nurfing; and, indeed, her arms the married ftate. But where shall we are fo white and well formed, that find a wife, continued he, of the fame they fhew them to no fmall advantage. breed?--I make no doubt I might' Joy fparkled in the eyes of Mr. Mau- have had a rifing and promifing offcel at feeing his wife adorned with fpring of my own by this time, if this token of his uncle's approbation I could have prevailed on a certain of her conduct, and while fhe toffed lady to have honoured me with her the child to and fro, faid, "I think, hand.--1 was, at this time, knitSophy, my uncle has judged right;ting a fringe for the curtains in Mrs. for the more you play with our boy, Mancel's nursery, and therefore, only the more beautiful both you and your touching him gently with my fhuttle,

brought

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