er that
Night was now approaching and that the Damps began to fall. "And
whither shall we go (said I) to shelter us from either?" "To that white
Cottage." (replied she pointing to a neat Building which rose up amidst
the grove of Elms and which I had not before observed--) I agreed and we
instantly walked to it--we knocked at the door--it was opened by an old
woman; on being requested to afford us a Night's Lodging, she informed
us that her House was but small, that she had only two Bedrooms, but
that However we should be wellcome to one of them. We were satisfied and
followed the good woman into the House where we were greatly cheered
by the sight of a comfortable fire--. She was a widow and had only one
Daughter, who was then just seventeen--One of the best of ages; but
alas! she was very plain and her name was Bridget..... Nothing therfore
could be expected from her--she could not be supposed to possess either
exalted Ideas, Delicate Feelings or refined Sensibilities--. She was
nothing more than a mere good-tempered, civil and obliging young woman;
as such we could scarcely dislike here--she was only an Object of
Contempt--. Adeiu Laura.

LETTER the 14th LAURA in continuation

Arm yourself my amiable young Freind with all the philosophy you are
Mistress of; summon up all the fortitude you possess, for alas! in the
perusal of the following Pages your sensibility will be most severely
tried. Ah! what were the misfortunes I had before experienced and which
I have already related to you, to the one I am now going to inform you
of. The Death of my Father and my Mother and my Husband though almost
more than my gentle Nature could support, were trifles in comparison
to the misfortune I am now proceeding to relate. The morning after
our arrival at the Cottage, Sophia complained of a violent pain in her
delicate limbs, accompanied with a disagreable Head-ake She attributed
it to a cold caught by her continued faintings in the open air as the
Dew was falling the Evening before. This I feared was but too probably
the case; since how could it be otherwise accounted for that I should
have escaped the same indisposition, but by supposing that the
bodily Exertions I had undergone in my repeated fits of frenzy had so
effectually circulated and warmed my Blood as to make me proof against
the chilling Damps of Night, whereas, Sophia lying totally inactive
on the ground must have been exposed to all their severity. I was most
s