f
obliged to him for his civilities to you.

But what are your troubles? You do not name them. What hurt
has matrimony done you? I know only that it has given you a
good name. I do not remember that you were used to have so
frightful an idea of it as you have now. Pray be more explicit.
Restrain your wit if you wish to write again, and I will answer
your next if I like it. Your father,
S. Wesley.

On receiving this Hetty could not at once bethink her of having given
any cause of offence. But she had kept a rough copy of her letter,
and on studying it was fairly shocked by its tone, which now seemed
to her almost flippant.

She marvelled at her maladroitness, which was the more singular
because she had really written under strong emotion. She did not
even now guess the secret of her failure; which was, that she had
written entreating forgiveness of one whom she had not wholly
forgiven. Nevertheless she tried again.

Hetty to her Father

Honoured Sir,--Though I was glad, on any terms, of the favour of
a line from you, yet I was concerned at your displeasure on
account of the unfortunate paragraph which you are pleased to
say was meant for the flower of my letter. I wish it had not
gone, since I perceive it gave you some uneasiness.

But since what I said occasioned some queries, which I should be
glad to speak freely about, I earnestly beg that the little I
shall say may not be offensive to you, since I promise to be as
little witty as possible, though I can't help saying you accuse
me of being too much so; especially these late years past I have
been pretty free from that scandal.

You ask me what hurt matrimony has done me, and whether I had
always so frightful an idea of it as I have now?
Home questions, indeed! and I once more beg of you not to be
offended at the least I can say to them, if I say anything.

I had not always such notions of wedlock as now, but thought
that where there was a mutual affection and desire of pleasing,
something near an equality of mind and person, either earthly or
heavenly wisdom, and anything to keep love warm between a young
couple, there was a possibility of happiness in a married state;
but when all, or most of these, were wanting, I ever thought
people could not marry without sinnin