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I shall go on Monday morning to a kind of ball, to which Colonel Ambrose has invited me. It is given on a family account. I care not on what: for all that delights me in the thing, is, that Mrs. and Miss Howe are to be there ;-Hickman, of course; for the old lady will not stir abroad without him. The Colonel is in hopes that Miss Arabella Harlowe will be there likewise; for all the men and women of fashion round him are invited.

I fell in by accident with the colonel, who, I believe, hardly thought I would accept of the invitation. But he knows me not, if he thinks I am ashamed to appear at any place, where women dare show their faces. Yet he hinted to me, that my name was up, on Miss Harlowe's account. But, to allude to one of Lord M.'s phrases, if it be, I will not lie abed when anything joyous is going forward.

As I shall go in my lord's chariot, I would have had one of my cousins Montague to go with me: but they both refused: and I shall not choose to take either of thy brethren. It would look as if I thought I wanted a body-guard besides, one of them is too rough, the other too smooth, and too great a fop for some of the staid company that will be there; and for me in particular. Men are known by their companions; and a fop (as Tourville, for example) takes great pains to hang out a sign by his dress of what he has in his shop. Thou, indeed, art an exception; dressing like a coxcomb, yet a very clever fellow. Nevertheless so clumsy a beau, that thou seemest to me to owe thyself a double spite, making thy ungracefulness appear the more ungraceful, by thy remarkable tawdriness when thou art out of mourning.

I remember, when I first saw thee, my mind laboured with a strong puzzle, whether I should put thee down for a great fool, or a smatterer in wit. Something I saw was wrong in thee, by thy dress. If this fellow, thought I,

delights not so much in ridicule, that he will not spare himself, he must be plaguy silly to take so much pains to make his ugliness more conspicuous than it would otherwise be.

But, although I put on these lively airs, I am sick at my soul!-My whole heart is with my charmer! With what indifference shall I look upon all the assembly at the Colonel's, my beloved in my ideal eye, and engrossing my whole heart?

MISS HOWE TO MISS ARABELLA HARLOWE.

M

Thursday, July 20. ISS HARLOWE,-I cannot help acquainting you (however it may be received, coming from me) that your poor sister is dangerously ill, at the house of one Smith, who keeps a glover's and perfume shop, in King Street, Covent Garden. She knows not that I write. Some violent words, in the nature of an imprecation, from her father, afflict her greatly in her weak state. I presume not to direct you what to do in this case. You are her sister. I therefore could not help writing to you, not only for her sake, but for your own. I am, madam,

Your humble Servant,

ANNA HOWE.

MISS ARABELLA HARLOWE TO MISS HOWE.

M

Thursday, July 20.

ISS HOWE,—I have yours of this morning. All that has happened to the unhappy body you mention, is what we foretold and expected. Let him, for whose sake she abandoned us, be her comfort. We are told he has remorse, and would marry her. We don't believe it, indeed. She may be very ill. Her dis

appointment may make her so, or ought. Yet is she the only one I know, who is disappointed.

I cannot say, miss, that the notification from you is the more welcome for the liberties you have been pleased to take with our whole family, for resenting a conduct, that it is a shame any young lady should justify. Excuse this freedom, occasioned by greater. I am, miss,

Your humble Servant,

ARABELLA HARLOWE

M

MISS HOWE TO MISS ARABELLA HARLOWE.

Friday, July 21.

ISS ARABELLA HARLOWE,-If you had half as much sense as you have ill-nature, you would (notwithstanding the exuberance of the latter) have been able to distinguish between a kind intention to you all (that you might have the less to reproach yourselves with, if a deplorable case should happen) and an officiousness I owed you not, by reason of freedoms at least reciprocal. I will not, for the unhappy body's sake, as you call a sister you have helped to make so, say all that I could say. If what I fear happen, you shall hear (whether desired or not) all the mind of

ANNA HOWE.

M

MISS ARABELLA HARLOWE TO MISS HOWE.

Friday, July 21.

ISS ANN HOWE,-Your pert letter I have received. You, that spare nobody, I cannot expect should spare me. You are very happy in a prudent and watchful mother-but else-mine cannot be exceeded in prudence: but we had all too good an opinion of somebody, to think watchfulness needful.

There may possibly be some reason why you are so much attached to her, in an error of this flagrant nature.

I help to make a sister unhappy!-It is false, miss!It is all her own doings-Except, indeed, what she may owe to somebody's advice-you know who can best answer for that.

Let us know your mind as soon as you please: as we shall know it to be your mind, we shall judge what attention to give it. That's all, from, &c.

AR. H.

T

MISS HOWE TO MISS ARABELLA HARLOWE.

may

Saturday, July 22.

be the misfortune of some people to engage everybody's notice: others may be the happier, though they may be the more envious, for nobody's thinking them worthy of any. But one would be glad people had the sense to be thankful for that want of consequence, which subjected them not to hazards they would hardly have been able to manage under.

I repeat it with gratitude, that the dear creature's advice was of very great service to me-and this before my mother's watchfulness became necessary. But how it would have fared with me, I cannot say, had I had a brother or sister, who had deemed it their interest, as well as a gratification of their sordid envy, to misrepresent me.

Your admirable sister, in effect, saved you, miss, as well as me-with this difference-you, against your will-me, with mine and but for your own brother, and his own sister, would not have been lost herself.

:

But why run I into length to such a poor thing?—why push I so weak an adversary; whose first letter is all low malice, and whose next is made up of falsehood and inconsistence, as well as spite and ill-manners? Yet I was willing to give you a part of my mind. Call for more of

it; it shall be at your service; from one, who, though she thanks God she is not your sister, is not your enemy: but that she is not the latter, is withheld but by two considerations; one, that you bear, though unworthily, a relation to a sister so excellent; the other, that you are not of consequence enough to engage anything but the pity and contempt of

A. H.

MRS. HARLOWE TO MRS. HOWE.

Saturday, July 22.

EAR MADAM,-I send you, inclosed, copies of five letters that have passed between Miss Howe and my Arabella. We beg, that we may not be reflected upon by a young lady, who knows not what we have suffered, and do suffer, by the rashness of a naughty creature who has brought ruin upon herself, and disgrace upon a family which she has robbed of all comfort. I offer not to prescribe to your known wisdom in this case; but leave it to you to do as you think most proper. I am, madam,

Your most humble servant,

CHARL. HARLOWE.

MRS. HOWE TO MRS. HARLOWE.

Saturday, July 22.

EAR MADAM,-I am highly offended with my daughter's letters to Miss Harlowe. I knew

nothing at all of her having taken such a liberty. These young creatures have such romantic notions, some of love, some of friendship, that there is no governing them in either. Nothing but time, and dear experience, will convince them of their absurdities in both. I have chidden Miss Howe very severely. I had before so just a notion of what your whole

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