ments at home, and the interchange | fealy fatisfied with the propriety of of vifits with his family and friends, but we wished-efpecially myself to be respected by our neighbours, as we gave them no offence, and not to be looked upon in an infamous light at b. ft. However, though nothing can be more innocent than my mode of life with Mr. E- I have the mortification to find that I am thought, by the people living near us, to be kept by him for purpofes of the moft fcandalous kind.Were he a gay, young man, there might be fome reafon to fufpect an improper connection, but his very advanced age, his long friendship with my father, and my intimacy with his daughters, would have prevented, one may imagine, any injurious fufpicions, or put an entire ftop to them but they feem to gain ground, and I am treated, whenever Iftir out, in a manner which gives me the greatest uncafinefs For a while, I confoled myself with the idea, that if the ladies of the family behaved to me in a kind and refpectful manner, their behaviour would, in the end, convince my neighbours that I was undeferving of their cenfures: of late, however, and for what reason I cannot find out, they have altered their conduct towards me: they feldom come to fee their father, make the most plaufible pretences for their long abfence, and never invite me as they used to do, to accompany him to their houses, but feize every opportunity to treat me with the molt pointed neglect, the mofl mortifying colonefs. This mode of hehaviour, if perfifted in, muft inevitably ruin my character, as it has already destroyed my peace of mind: yet, they have managed this bufinefs in fo artful a manner, that their father does not feem to fee it; at leaft, he does not appear to take any notice of it. For my part, I am fo fearful of offending Mr. E and even my on father, who is per 2 his conduct to me, that I know not how to act, and have hitherto, therefore, been filent upon a fubject which gives me very great difquiet: belides, it is a fubject I do not well know how to enter upon; and you will, I dare fay, madam, own that it is an indelicate one for me, in my prefent fituation. I muft alfo ap. pear most ungrateful to Mr. E—, whofe allowance for my appearing, both at home and abroad, and for my pocket, is very ample: not to mention a number of genteel prefents which I am continually receiving from him, by which I am enabled to affift my father, and to make his life, almost worn down with fevere difappointment, tolerably comfortable. On the other hand, the idea of having a doubtful reputation, and the neglect, the fcornful treatment of those who condemn me unjustly, are too much for me to bear with patience. Favour me, therefore, dear madam, with your fentiments upon a fubject too nice for the difcuffion of Your conftant reader, and admirer, MARIA R. I perfeâly agree with mifs Rin thinking that her prefent fituation is of a very delicate nature; yet, if he is conscious of her innocence, and if her father apprehends nothing wrong in her conduct, I would advife her to make herself quite cafy, and not to be disturbed ty the idle tittle-tattle of a cenforious neighbourhood. Many a one, timilar to ber, is there in the vil lages about London, and even farther off, where people who have but little bufinefs of their own, amuse themselves with making obfervations on thofe who are fo ui fortunate as to be near them. If Mr. E——, therefore, had any finifter views with regard to mifs R, he could not not have pitched upon a worfe place: | with fome ladies of character. Cer as a man of difcernment, for the fake tainly fome friends must remain, of his own character, he would, cer- whofe fmiles enlivened her in the tainly, have chofen a spot more out days of her prosperity, and who, as : of the reach of thofe who have no- the bas at prefent, no favour to ak thing to do but to fearch, with the of them, may be ready to meet her moft vigilant curiofity, into family upon her own terms.-This mode affairs, with which they have no of acting, with the most open, uaconcern. While Mr. E be- reserved behaviour, both in and out haves in an open,. generous manner of the houfe, cannot but tend to to his young companion, and takes remove all the idle and injurious her among his friends, he has not conjectures with regard to her chamuch to fear from the malevolence rafter. However, if any of the of her neighbours, who feem to be fufpicions harboured against her be -more nice than wife. With refpect jufily grounded, if Mr. Eto the change in the behaviour of thould difcover any improper deMr. E's daughters to her, per- figns, or take any indelicate liberhaps his approbation of her manage-ties, he must then leave him diment of his domeftic affairs, and his rectly, and endeavour to procure a generofity to her in return for herfituation, which, though not fo adattentions and affiduities, may create vantageous, may fecure her person fome jealous fenfations in them. and reputation from any future at. The best minds are but too fre- tacks, and give her the heart-felt quently degraded by the predomin-fatisfaction of having acted with a ance of this defpicably difquieting commendable difcretion, fufficient paffion-we may, fuppofe, inde d, to fet her above any fears to come, that these ladies are amply provided fimilar to thofe which have been for at prefent, and that their future procured in the favour of her cor. exptations are well founded, yet refpondence. It gives me always there are too many people in the great pleafure when I receive letters world who cannot bear to fee the from those who are bleft with good fmalleft trife, to which they think principles, and who wish to preferve they have an indifputable claim, them unchangeable: and I fincerely given to ancther. Various reafons with to give all fuch perfons who do of this kind often produce difcontent me the honour to appeal to me for in families, who might otherwife my advice, all the affittance in my live in the greatest harmony and power with my pen. friendship; reafons, which, if they were d fclof d, would appear fo trivial, so abfurd, as to conver, imagin ay differences into real ones. Mifs R, there'ore, will, think, act the most prudent part, by not fecming to fe what may alfo be not a little heightened by her own alarm d imagin tion. Let her behave to thofe dies, when they meet, with all proper refpect and politeness, and appear, at least, eafy and unemt arraffed; and, if Mr. E—— does not, abfolutly forbid any fuch intercourse, to endeavour to keep up, or cultivate a friendship N. B. The letter figned "A Well-wither to Piety." is received, and will be inferted next month. M. G. The DISTRACTED MOTHER. this age of diffipation and divoice the moft ftriking inftances of con The Distracted Mother. A Domeftic Tale. conjugal infidelity and unhappinefs, there are, doubtlefs, many wedded pairs, who by the fincereft attachment to each other, arifing from the purest affection, mutually and forcibly felt, do no fmall credit to the nuptial fate. 545 his parents felt upon his progress through childhood was not inter rupted by any oppostion of fenti ment with regard to domestic management. Harriet was the tendereft, the most affiduous of mothers; and Charles, having engagements abroad of a public nature, was contented with her operations as a nurfe to his fon and heir: but, when that fon began to fhew himself an With the most decided affection for each other, strengthened by mutual efleem, and with the moit promifing worldly profpects, Charles Seymour and Harriet Fenton enter-active, bufiling little fellow, with ed into a matrimonial connection, and were justly looked upon by all who knew them as happy a couple as Hymen ever united. With an income sufficient to enable them to live in a genteel, though not in a magnificent style, they were refpect-ing of his mind, the expanfion of ed for the appearance they made, as well as beloved for their behaviour, which endeared them to all with whom they were acquainted. quick parts, and a docile difpofition, Charles deemed it highly ncceffary to remove him from the tuition of his mother, who was more likely to keep his understanding down than to promote the open his ideas in the fchools of education. On this point-the first in which they differed-they could not agree. Charles urged the neceffity of fending his fon to a proper feminary of learning; Harriet as frenuously defended the fuperior advantages refulting from home inftruction, laying a great stress on the morals of her child, which, fhe often faid with an additional warmth in her Thoroughly happy in themfelves, the Seymours only wanted little reprefentatives to complete, as they thought, their connubial felicity: for fuch a completion they wished, and not without mutual anxiety, a few years; at last, the birth of a fon threw them into fuch traufportsdiction, would be ruined by his con of joy, that they immediately forgot all the uneafinefs which they had endured in a state of tedious expectation. But how little do we know what to wish for in this world!-The birth of a fon produced difquietudes far fuperior to any which had been felt before that joyous event. Difquietudes, indeed, arifing from the extreme of parental affection, in confequence of which the dread of feparation too frequently gave a con fiderable check to the pleasure of poffeffion. This language cannot be perfectly understood by those who were never bleffed with children; but fond fathers and fond mothers will strongly enter into the meaning of it. During the nursery part of young Charles's life, the fatisfaction which VOL. XX. nections with other boys.-To the danger apprehended from fuch conneâions Charies turned a deaf ear, and his fon was, in confequence of his final derermination- (he thought he was right to be refolute upon fuch an occafion, though he had the fincereft regard for his Harriet) carried by him down into the country, to be under the care of a very worthy clergyman, whose abilities were of the first clafs, and whofe life was irreproachable. Harriet, though fhe was feverely pained by the determination of her hufband with respect to young Charles, was, at the fame t'me, lo thoroughly convinced that he acted not merely from a fpirit of oppofition to her opinions, but from a firm belief that his mode of condu& was the most eligible, reasoned her4 A |