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hours in a fick room, and to perform the offices of a nurse.

In short, my Emily, that you may stand the beft chance for connubial happiness, you must have a husband of your own rank in life, and of little more than your own age. Look for good temper, good fenfe, unblemished health, found principles, and respectable attainments-these are the foundations for cordial love, full confidence, and permanent affection.

As I am not acquainted with any perfons more proper to be propofed as examples of connubial felicity than Mr. and Mrs. S, I must strongly recommend them to your notice. Congenial in their difpor fitions, they married after a courtship of a year or two. They have too much fenfe not to concede what is proper to each other's management, and too much affection to wrangle about any thing: if he fays he muft go a journey, the immediately prepares for packing up; if he determines to stay at home, fhe talks of the comfort of their own firefide; whatever the one proposes, the other affents

affents to, unless fome ftrong reafons for a difference of opinion occur; and then the whole matter is talked over with calmness and perfect good humour. Although the never wishes to interfere in the conduct of business, yet he often finds her opinion very valuable. In all cafes, in which the has the predominance, the deferves it, for it is the influence of affection directed by good fenfe fuch influence, as no fenfible husband would refift, and none but a prudent wife knows how to exert. Their children follow the example of their parents; it is a family of harmony and love. Mr. and Mrs. S

are now growing old, yet you would be pleafed to fee the letters they write to each other; they are the genuine fruits of ripened friendship, and of unalterable regard. Their flame of love, whatever it may have loft in ftrength, fill burns with brightness. The remembrance of paft pleasures adds to its fuel, no jarring or bickerings obfcure it: they are walking down into the vale of years with compofure, and alleviate each other's burden

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burden of infirmities by every means in their power; contented and cheerful themselves, they infpire good humour in all around them, and it seems as if even death itself, although it may separate them, cannot extinguish their affection.

Could you meet with fuch a lover as Mr. S-was, affectionate without weakness, so mild and yet fo manly, fo polite and yet fo fincere, fo correct in his own conduct, and yet fo inclined to palliate the faults of others; in fhort, fo completely amiable, I would give my confent to your being married to-morrow. If you throw yourself away upon a husband who has none of his good qualities, you will have every reafon for felfreproach; for you will act in oppofition to your own fenfe of propriety and delicacy of feeling, and against the whole current of your education you will be the caufe of your own mifery-and you will break my heart.

But if you can collect from these hints what kind of a partner for life you ought to prefer, and fuch a man fhould be the object

of

of your choice, you will make three perfons happy-your husband, your father, and yourfelf. Confider therefore the extenfive good or evil you have it in your power to produce, and let your own judgment concur with my wishes in regard to your taking a step of all the most important in your life.

END OF THE LETTERS.