LETTER V
MRS. NORTON, TO MISS CLARISSA HARLOWEMONDAY, AUG. 14.
All your friends here, my dear young lady, now seem set upon proposing toyou to go to one of the plantations. This, I believe, is owing to somemisrepresentations of Mr. Brand; from whom they have received a letter.
I wish, with all my heart, that you could, consistently with your ownnotions of honour, yield to the pressing requests of all Mr. Lovelace'sfamily in his behalf. This, I think, would stop every mouth; and, intime, reconcile every body to you. For your own friends will not believethat he is in earnest to marry you; and the hatred between the familiesis such, that they will not condescend to inform themselves better; norwould believe him, if he were ever so solemnly to avow that he is.
I should be very glad to have in readiness, upon occasion, some briefparticulars of your sad story under your own hand. But let me tell you,at the same time, that no misrepresentations, nor even your ownconfession, shall lessen my opinion either of your piety, or of yourprudence in essential points; because I know it was always your humbleway to make light faults heavy against yourself: and well might you, mydearest young lady, aggravate your own failings, who have ever had sofew; and those few so slight, that your ingenuousness has turned most ofthem into excellencies.
Nevertheless, let me advise you, my dear Miss Clary, to discountenanceany visits, which, with the censorious, may affect your character. Asthat has not hitherto suffered by your wilful default, I hope you willnot, in a desponding negligence (satisfying yourself with a consciousnessof your own innocence) permit it to suffer. Difficult situations, youknow, my dear young lady, are the tests not only of prudence but ofvirtue.
I think, I must own to you, that, since Mr. Brand's letter has beenreceived, I have a renewed prohibition to attend you. However, if youwill give me leave, that shall not detain me from you. Nor would I stayfor that leave, if I were not in hopes that, in this critical situation,I may be able to do you service here.
I have often had messages and inquiries after your health from thetruly-reverend Dr. Lewen, who has always expressed, and still expresses,infinite concern for you. He entirely disapproves of the measures of thefamily with regard to you. He is too much indisposed to go abroad. But,were he in good health, he would not, as I understand, visit atHarlowe-place, having some time since been unhandsomely treated by yourbrother, on his offering to mediate for you with your family.
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I am just now informed that your cousin Morden is arrived in England. Heis at Canterbury, it seems, looking after some concerns he has there; andis soon expected in these parts. Who knows what may arise from hisarrival? God be with you, my dearest Miss Clary, and be your comforterand sustainer. And never fear but He will; for I am sure, I am verysure, that you put your whole trust in Him.
And what, after all, is this world, on which we so much depend fordurable good, poor creatures that we are!--When all the joys of it, and(what is a balancing comfort) all the troubles of it, are but momentary,and vanish like a morning dream!
And be this remembered, my dearest young lady, that worldly joy claims nokindred with the joys we are bid to aspire after. These latter we mustbe fitted for by affliction and disappointment. You are therefore in thedirect road to glory, however thorny the path you are in. And I hadalmost said, that it depends upon yourself, by your patience, and by yourresignedness to the dispensation, (God enabling you, who never fails thetrue penitent, and sincere invoker,) to be an heir of a blessedimmortality.
But this glory, I humbly pray, that you may not be permitted to enterinto, ripe as you are so soon to be for it, till, with your gentle hand,(a pleasure I have so often, as you now, promised to myself,) you haveclosed the eyes of
Your maternally-affectionateJUDITH NORTON.