CIRCLE FOURTH.

"BELLSBURNFOOT, July 27.

"DEAR MRS. JOHNSON,

"I SHALL endeavour to begin the fulfilment of my promise of writing to you every week; but I fear that all my writing will only consist of making inquiries; for, alas! I confess, to my shame, that I have left my heart and my happiness with you. I never knew till now how deeply I was in love. It is become quite a disease with me, for I have no happiness in any thing in this world, save thinking about one person, and of all other things, the thoughts of him give me the most unhappiness. You may therefore conceive to what a miserable state of existence my folly has reduced me. 1 take my accustomed walks-I look at the flowersat the fountains-the snowy flocks, and the shadows of the little clouds chasing each other over the sunny hills-But all to me has the same colour, and the same effect. I fix my eyes on them, it is true; but am no more interested in them, than if I looked on vacancy. Then, of course, I come to many spots where he and I have sat together, when love was in the bud, and hope blossomed without any alloy. In these places I sit down and weep; and then I feel that I have no hope remaining, save what is placed in your kind heart and ingenuous nature. Oh! my dear friend, do not forget me; for now that I have disclosed my weakness to you, I will hide nothing; the sole happiness of my life, and my life itself, depend on the attainment of one object, and of course they now depend upon you. But if you can give me hope, it is enough. I can live and luxuriate in that, and desire no higher bliss for the present.

"That day that I left you, I cannot describe what I felt. From the time that I took my eyes away from

a certain window, I saw the ground no more, until you put me into the coach. Our journey home is all like a dream to me. I remember of nothing farther, than of once taking my father's arm in my bosom, and leaning on his shoulder, while my thoughts were on a different object. I am sure, my dearest friend, that you will pity me, when I tell you, that I cannot find comfort even in reading my Bible, or in thinking of a future state, to which comfort I every day endeavour to attain. When I think of the joys of Heaven, then my mind turns on a certain comely mortal being; and I feel as if, without his society, my happiness in any state would be all incomplete. This is a woful state to be in; but it is past my remedying, and I have no one to look to for comfort but to yourself. Therefore, I entreat of you not to forget me, but write, write, write! not every week, but every post; and if there be two posts in the day, take advantage of them both.

"Things are all going on here much in the usual jog-trot way. Joseph is fishing; my father working among his flocks from morning till night, and my mother teazing me everlastingly with the qualifications of my abominable new lover, cousin Dick! Would that he had remained among his mosses and muirs, to have drunken smuggled whisky-punch, and railed against Simey Dodd of Ramshope, for being a richer man than he! Compliments to cousin Cherry, and tell her to I hope her love is not of a very deadly sort. Pray, does she ever remind her lover how well she likes him now? I will send over little Jaggs to the post-office every day; for mercy's sake do not let me look in vain for letters, but send some daily food for your affectionate

write to me.

"DEAREST GATTY.

"AGATHA BELL."

"I HAVE waited thus long, in order that I might be able to inform you of something you did not know be fore. But hitherto I have waited in vain; for no inquiries that I have been able to make, have had the

least effect in drawing from M'Ion the circumstances of his birth, parentage, and connexions; and I have stronger reasons than ever for believing that he is an impostor; therefore, I have never once attempted to sound the state of his affections, though I have often thought I would take him for one in love, from a sort of mellowness that prevails in all his words and sentiments. He is, indeed, a most admirable young man. It is impossible to be near him, and not to love him. For my part, I have always loved him, and do so still, as he were my own child. Cherry is indefatigable in her attentions and endeavours to please him, and he does seem pleased. Indeed, if the thing were possible to be supposed, I could almost conceive he was beginning to love her. The downright artless simplicity of the little elf has a charm with it that cannot miss making an impression on one of his fine feelings and precarious state of health. I think I could persuade him to come to the country, but I have not yet tried my art. I find, however, that your father waited on him, unknown to me, before he came away; took a kind leave of him, and invited him to come to the country as usual; but he only thanked him, and made him no positive answer. I am really concerned about the state you are in, but hope it is not so ill as you make it appear on paper. I see no reason, however, that you have for despondence. I never had a hand in the making of a match, save in one that ought never to have been made, which renders me both ill qualified and cautious in such matters. When I take into ac count your personal charms, and other good qualities, which, perhaps, I estimate too highly, I cannot perceive a difficulty in your obtaining the hand and heart of your lover. But then your actions must not be ruled by caprice, as they have hitherto been, in a woful degree.

"I remain yours, most affectionately, "AGNES JOHNSON."

sure

"BELLSBURNFOOT, August 2.

"MY DEAR Friend. "YOUR letter has given me far more pain than pleae; and yet I have felt a sort of animation since reading it, that I have not experienced these many days. What business has the little ferret Cherry to be coaxing and toying with a young gentleman of fortune like Mlon? It is a notorious shame to her, and I wonder how you permit it. I have no doubt but he caresses and kisses her in your absence. I am sure of it, for I once saw him kiss her cheek; and the impertinent little hussy, instead of resenting it, sat down on his knee, with her arm about his neck. This is a thing that I cannot endure. You are not to suffer him to fall in love with her. I could bear any thing but this. I could bear his anger; nay, I could even like it much better than indifference. But were he to fall in love with another, I could not live. I would not bear life for one week; therefore, dearest Mrs. Johnson, discharge her from entering his room, or seeing him. It is actually a red-burning shame, for a girl in her teens, and so little a girl too, without either fortune or qualifications, to be provoking people to fall in love with

her.

"You must excuse my impatience, but really you are managing every thing wrong, and, of course not one of them right. Why don't you persuade M'Ion to come to the country without further delay? What have his connexions ado with a visit to the country for his health? I care little or nothing about his family connexions; and he can never have a better excuse for retirement, than just now, when in lingering illness. Might not I tend him as well as Cherry? Could not I bathe his aching temples as well as she? and sing to him, and play to him, which she cannot do? For my sake, then, dear nurse, send him out hither with the very next coach.

"Why have you both become so familiar with him after my departure? Ought you not to have kept up

something of the same ceremony as before, for my sake? What must he think of poor Gatty, whose pride and aversion kept him from the society of his dearest friends, and whose absence now gives them all full liberty to do as they feel inclined? When I think of this, I am quite overcome, and can write no farther, as you will see I have almost spoiled the letter with my tears. Father and mother send their

kindest love, along with that of their hapless daughter, and your affectionate

"AGATHA BELL."

"EDINBURGH, AUGUST 15.

"MY DEAREST, DEAREST GATTY,

"I have news to tell you that will make you wonder, and please you above all earthly things; yes, indeed, they will. Oh, goodness to the day! How I would like to see you figeting and giggling when you read this. It comes to let you know, that I am going to be married the next week, or the beginning of the next again; so you may come to town as fast as you can fly, for none other shall be my bride-maid, and draw my glove, but my dear cousin Gatty. There will be nobody to trouble you now with their impertinent intrusions and languishing looks. I'm sure it will be such a relief to you, and you will be so glad! I would fain tell you all our courtship to amuse you, for I was not so easily courted as you may think. There was not a day on which he was not saying some things so kind and so affectionate to me, that they made my heart-strings all to thrill and quiver; and at length he says to me one day, after I had bathed his wound, 'My little sweet Cherry,' says he, 'could you love a man who confessed to you that you were his second love; that he had loved another better, but was slight. ed and disappointed ?'

"I did not know what to say, for I found the tears coming itch-itching to my eyes; and lest they should drown my answer altogether, I broke out with great