gether. You would not have every thing in the
same man.

I believe Mr. Hickman treads no crooked paths; but he hobbles most
ungracefully in a straight one. Yet Mr. Hickman, though he pleases not
my eye, nor diverts my ear, will not, as I believe, disgust the one, nor
shock the other. Your man, as I have lately said, will always keep up
attention; you will always be alive with him, though perhaps more from
fears than hopes: while Mr. Hickman will neither say any thing to keep
one awake, nor yet, by shocking adventures, make one's slumbers uneasy.

I believe I now know which of the two men so prudent a person as you
would, at first, have chosen; nor doubt I that you can guess which I
would have made choice of, if I might. But proud as we are, the proudest
of us all can only refuse, and many of us accept the but half-worthy,
for fear a still worse should offer.

If men had chosen their mistresses for spirits like their own, although
Mr. Lovelace, at the long run, may have been too many for me, I don't
doubt but I should have given heart-ach for heart-ach, for one half-year
at least; while you, with my dull-swift, would have glided on as
serenely, as calmly, as unaccountably, as the succeeding seasons;
and varying no otherwise than they, to bring on new beauties and
conveniencies to all about you.

*****

I was going on in this style--but my mother broke in upon me with a
prohibitory aspect. 'She gave me leave for one letter only.'--She
had just parted with your odious uncle, and they have been in close
conference again.

She has vexed me. I must lay this by till I hear from you again, not
knowing whither to send it.

Direct me to a third place, as I desired in my former.

I told my mother (on her challenging me) that I was writing indeed, and
to you: but it was only to amuse myself; for I protested that I knew not
where to send to you.

I hope that your next may inform me of your nuptials, although the next
to that were to acquaint me that he was the most ungratefullest monster
on earth; as he must be, if not the kindest husband in it.

My mother has vexed me. But so, on revising, I wrote before.--But she
has unhinged me, as you call it: pretended to catechise Hickman, I
assure you, for contributing to our supposed correspondence. Catechised
him severely too, upon my word!--I believe I have a sneaking kindness
for the sneaking fellow, for I cannot endure that any body should treat
him like a fool but mysel