-they blow unseen,

And waste their sweetness on the desert air.

'But if these polite persons will continue to reside in the summer at their country seats, merely because it is the fashion, it would be no unfriendly office to spare them the mortification of continually gazing upon unwelcome objects. In order therefore to fix their attention to the most important concerns, I would humbly propose (and I doubt not but the proposal would meet with their approbation), that immediately after dinner the windows be closed, and the light of the sun be exchanged for that of waxcandles; by which means the gentlemen over their bottle, in one room, may uninterruptedly harangue on hounds and horses, while the ladies in another

may be shut up till midnight with cards and counters. And that the latter may be spared the disquiet of having recourse on a Sunday to fields and gardens (I mean if their mammas or husbands should happen to be so enthusiastically rigid as to forbid gaming upon that day), let it be lawful for them to lie a-bed and study Mr. Hoyle. I am, Sir,

Your most humble servant,

RUSTICUS.'

N° 37. THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 1753.

THE following letter is written with so much nature and simplicity, that rather than curtail it of its length, I have thought proper (as I once did before) to extend my paper to another half-sheet.

'I

SIR,

"To MR. FITZ-ADAM.

am the widow of a merchant, with whom I lived

happily, and in affluence, for many years. We had no children, and when he died he left me all he had; but his affairs were so involved, that the balance which I received, after having gone through much expense and trouble, was no more than one thousand pounds. This sum I placed in the hands of a friend of my husband's, who was reckoned a good man in the city, and who allowed me an interest of four per cent. for my capital; and with this forty pounds a year I retired, and boarded in a village about a hundred miles from London.

'There was an old lady of great fortune in that neighbourhood, who visited often at the house where I lodged: she pretended, after a short acquaintance, to take a great liking to me: she professed a friendship for me, and at length persuaded me to come and live with her.

'Between the time of taking this my resolution and putting it into execution, I was informed that this lady, whom I shall call Lady Mary, was very unequal in her humours, and treated her inferiors and dependants with that insolence which she imagined her superior fortune gave her a right to make use of.

'But as I was neither her relation nor dependant, and as all that I desired from her was common civility, I thought that whenever her ladyship or her house became disagreeable to me, I could retire to my old quarters, and live in the same manner as I did before I became acquainted with her; and upon the strength of this reasoning, I packed up my clothes, paid off my lodgings, and was conveyed by my Lady Mary in her own coach to her mansionhouse.

'For the first year she treated me with civility and confidence; but in that time I could not help observing that she had no affection for any body. I

203 found out that she did not love her nearest relations, who were highly esteemed by all the rest of the neighbourhood; and therefore I gave but little credit to all the protestations of friendship which she was continually making to me.

'She told me all that she knew, and more than she knew; and insinuated to me, that I was to look upon the trust she reposed in me as the strongest proof of the highest friendship. But these insinuations lost their effect; for I knew by experience, that there are many people, of which number her ladyship was one, that often have a need to unbosom themselves, who must have somebody to impart their secrets to, and who, when they know any thing that ought not to be told, are never at ease till they tell it.

But to proceed in my story. One day, when her ladyship had treated me with uncommon kindness, for my having taken her part in a dispute with one of her relations, I received a letter from London, to inform me that the person in whose hands I had placed my fortune, and who till that time had paid my interest-money very exactly, was broke, and had fled the kingdom.

'Lady Mary, in her fits of friendship, had offered me presents, and perhaps the oftener, because I always refused them. She had sometimes told me how desirous she was to do me good in any thing that lay within her power. But in those days I had the inexpressible happiness of having no wish or view beyond what my little fortune could afford me; and I was truly sensible of, and blessed in, the heartfelt satisfaction of independence. Imagine then, Sir, what I felt at the receipt of the above-mentioned letter. All that I shall say to you about what it produced, is, that I took my resolution immediately. I carried the letter in my hand to Lady Mary; but before I gave it to her, I told her, that I had never

(

doubted the sincerity of her friendship, and that I was thoroughly sensible of the kindness with which she treated me. I put her in mind of the presents which she had offered me, and added, that while I was not in want of her assistance, I thought it wrong to accept of them; but that the time was now come when her friendship was likely to become my only support; that it would be unjust in me to suspect that I should not receive it; and that the letter I then gave her would tell her all, and spare my

tears.

'Her ladyship immediately read it over with more attention than emotion; but after returning it to me, she embraced me, and assured me, in a condoling voice, that however great my misfortunes might be, she could not help feeling some satisfaction in thinking, that it was in her power to alleviate them, by giving me proofs of her unalterable friendship; that her house, her table, her servants, should always continue to be mine: that we should never part while we lived, and that I should feel no change in my condition from this unhappy alteration of my cir

cumstances.

To any body that knew her ladyship less than I did, these words would have afforded matter of great consolation; but when I retired to my chamber, and reflected upon my past and present situation, I saw that I had every thing to regret in the one, and very little to hope for from the other; and the following day convinced me of the manner in which I was to lead my future life.

'Whenever Lady Mary spoke to me, she had hitherto called me Mrs. Truman; but the very next morning at breakfast she left out Mrs.; and upon no greater provocation than breaking a tea-cup, she made me thoroughly sensible of her superiority and my dependance. "Lord, Truman, you are so awk

ward! Pray be more careful for the future, or we shall not live long together. Do you think I can afford to have my china broke at this rate, and maintain you into the bargain?"

From this moment I was obliged to drop the name and character of a friend, which I had hitherto maintained with a little dignity, and to take up that which the French call complaisante, and the English humble companion. But it did not stop here; for in a week I was reduced to be as miserable a toadeater as any in Great Britain, which in the strictest sense of the word is a servant; except that the toad-eater has the honour of dining with my lady, and the misfortune of receiving no wages.

The beginning of my servitude was being employed in small business in her ladyship's own presence.-Truman, fetch this; Truman, carry that; Truman, ring the bell; Truman, fill up the pot; Truman, pour out the coffee; Truman, stir the fire; Truman, call a servant; Truman, get me a glass of water, and put me in mind to take my drops.

The second part of my service was harder., I was a good housewife; I understood preserving, pickling, and pastry, perfectly well; I was no bad milliner, and I was very well skilled in the management of a dairy. All these little talents I had frequently produced, sometimes for my own amusement, and sometimes to make my court to my lady. But now what had been my diversion became my employment: my lady could touch no sweetmeat, pickle, tart, or cheesecake, but what was the work of my hands. I made up all her linen; I mended and sometimes washed her lace; the butter she eats every morning is all of my churning, and I make every slip-coat cheese that is brought to her table; and if any of these my various works miscarry, I am scolded or pouted at, as much as if I was hired and