ing heavy on your hands, cultivate by turns your mind, and little Eden. I do not wifh you to engage an Adam to affift you till my return, that. I may help you to make a proper choice. Should I chance to meet with a being likely to answer the purpose in the course of my travels, I will bring him over with me; if not, we must wait and fee what time and our own country will produce. That your kindred foul is at this moment in exiftence fomewhere, I have not a doubt; for we are all created in pairs I am fully perfuaded; but thrown into the world' at random, it but too frequently happens we never have the luck to meet the faid kindred fouls; which occafions the many prepofterous matches. we daily fee. Impatience, indeed, has a great fhare in these disasters. A girl takes the firft pair of black eyes, or white teeth, that happens. to ask her; believing, without farther enquiry, the has found the destined being-when lo, and behold in a few months, fhe difcovers her mistake, runs off with the first man who takes the trouble to confirm her in it, and thus come: divorces, elopements, &c. &c. Is it not a clear cafe, Lucinda? Let you and I, my good girl, wait patiently. I fhall firft, as in duty bound, look out for myfelf; it will be time enough to think of a help-mate for you half a dozen years hence; fo that important point is fettled.

Talking of thefe male creatures put me in mind of my brother. He has declined being of our party abroad. Indeed, I am not much furprifed at it, as he is but lately returned from his travels; fo lately, that I have fcarce yet had time

to judge what effects they have produced on him.. You know as well as I do, he was an agreeable. lively creature when he fet off on his tour; a little wild or fo, to be fure; but he is now nearly come to years of difcretion, and appears to be just as I would have him. You will foon have an opportunity of giving me your oppinion of him; for he talks of fpending the fhooting feafon at the Abby, and fure am I, he will not pay me fo bad a compliment as not to call upon my Eleve.. You need not, however, fhould be fo inclined,. let him fucceed me as your tutor.-Remember Abelard and Eloifa.

So you are clearly convinced my conjectures in regard to your birth, parentage and education,. I was going to fay, in order to finish the period properly, is wholly chimerical; and that your worthy mother, is bona fide your worthy mother. I give up the point, my dear, fince it is not in my power to fupply you with, I will not fay a better, but one in more affluent circumftances.

Re

member me kindly to her. You need not tell her I had perfumed to fancy fhe could not have given birth to fuch a daughter; that would not be quite fo civil, you know.

Now, Lucinda, I muft with reluctance bid you adieu. I have fifty things to do, and to fettle,. preparatory to our journey. Continue to write to me, and let it be minutely. You must not expect regular answers--that may not at all times be in my power; but never let my filence, however long, tempt you to doubt my affection.Mind that-I will not forgive your suspecting me

of caprice. Put your letters under cover to our housekeeper here who will forward them to me. Once more, adieu: Doubt not my being fincerely

Your's

S. SEL WY N..

LETTER IV.

LUCINDA to Mifs SEL WYN.

WITH heart-felt gratitude, and no lefs plea

fure, I received the honour of your laft fweetly kind letter; - yes, fweetly kind, though in the first lines you have given me a fpecimen of your talent for chiding. I am forry to fay, however you may pique yourself on that perfection, I cannot fay it appears to be your forte. No, my amiable friend, fo far am I from finding you miftrefs of it, that had you not told me it was intended for fuch, I should have fet it down as the kindest part of your epiftle. You see you must have either fadly failed in your purpose, or I am but a poor judge;-to fay truth, I am not much furprized you did not fucceed, fince I verily believe it is the very first attempt of the kind you ever made.-I thank Heaven for the pleafing change you tell me is already visible in Lady Selwyn's health; but, if really better, my dear

Madam, why undertake fo tremendous a voyage as that must be to Lisbon? to me at leaft it appears fo; tor of all the elements the fea is, in my opinion, the most formidable. You, I know, will laugh at my folly; but I fhall tremble notwithstanding, till I have the joy to hear you are fafely landed. Ah! what a tedious time have I to wait before I can hope for that pleafing intelligence. But why Lifbon ?-you once talked of the South of France. There you might have gone without encountering the perils of fo long a voyage-It terrifies me!-Then the fickness you must endure ! Let me think no more of it, fince all my apprehenfions can anfwer no other purpose than to torment both you and myself. I will only add, may it be propitious; and may you foon return to blefs with your loved prefence your ever grateful and affectionate Lucinda.

This looks mightily like the conclufion of an epiftle; but, believe me, I have no defign to let you off fo eafily. I have ftill ten thousand things to fay; not indeed of any great importance; that is no fault of mine. Depend upon it, I will be in no hurry in regard to finding my kindred foul. It is fufficient you have clearly proved fuch a one exifts. I will wait patiently, not doubting but in due time Providence will direct its flight to my humble dwelling. I moft willing confent to his fluttering about the world, at fully liberty, for half a dozen years at leaft, provided he then alights with every requifite to render the mar riage ftate completely happy, amidst my mossrofe bushes, or in any other part of my little

Eden he thinks proper.-I fhall be happy to have the honour of feeing Mr. Selwyn, fhould he deign to recollect our little co tage; indeed, unlefs much changed fince I faw him, I cannot doubt it; for he was ever polite and obliging. It will give me pleasure to present a bouquet of my best flowers to the brother of my generous, my beloved friend.

We had yefterday a vifit from the worthy Mr. Peters. He fat with me a full hour. Need I tell you, my dear Madam, who was the subject of our converfation, or with what regret we cast our eyes towards the now uninhabited defolate Abbey? He talks of you with all the fondnefs of a parent; and well he may, for he has the honour and happiness of knowing the goodnefs. of your heart. Who indeed has not had proofs. of it in this part of the world?-He was gone from home, I believe, before you left the country: and, indeed, we have miffed him much; as his place was but poorly fupplied by the young man appointed to preach during his abfence.. His language was perhaps more correct, more ftudied, than my venerable friend's; but it did not produce in me the effects Mr. Peters's plain, fimple, and unadorned discourses never fail to do. Our little congregation liftened with their ufual attention, I make no doubt; but I doubt very much whether any of them could comprehend even what was the subject on which he preached. As to the text he made choice of, that appeared to be a mere matter of form; for having gracefully repeated it twice, we heard no more of it, nor indeed any thing relating to it. He generally