down a plan for your future support. In the mean time I have sent a trifle to defray your expenses, till the other affairs are settled, and am, Your sincere well-wisher,

LETTER XIX.

From a Tradesman to a wholesale Dealer, to delay Pay ment of a Sum of Money.`

SIR,

My note to you will be payable in ten days and I am sorry to inform you, that although I have considerable suns in good hands, yet none of them are due these three weeks, which is all the time I require. It is a favour I never asked of any till this moment, and I hope for the future not to have any occasion to repeat it. I am really distressed for your answer; but as a proof of my sincerity, have sent inclosed three notes subscribed by persons well known to yourself, and although they exceed my debt, yet I have no objection to your keeping them as security till due. Let me beg to hear from you as soon as abis comes to hand, which will greatly oblige Your humble servant.

SIR,

LETTER XX.
The answer.

Ir was extremely fortunate for you that your letter arrived the day after it was written, for I was to have paid your note away yesterday, and I could not have had an opportunity of recalling it in time to have served you. Indeed it was imprudent not to communicate the news

to me sooner, as your credit might have been greatly affected by such an unnecessary delay. However, I impute it to your unwillingness to reveal the state of your affairs, and shall keep the note in my hands till your own becomes due, and for that purpose have returned the others, not doubting but you will send me the money at the time promised, which will greatly oblige

Your sincere well-wisher.

LETTER XXI.

From a Country Store-keeper, to his friend in New-York, desiring him to send him some Goods.

SIR,

But

THAT friendship which we contracted in our youth, is not yet, I hope, abated, although Providence has placed us many miles distant from each other. I have heard of your success in New-York, and it is with pleasure I can assure you that I am comfortably settled here. you know that our returns are slow, and profits small, and therefore, however willing, I am not in circumstances sufficient to defray the expense of a journey to New-York, in order to purchase goods at the best hand; which has been attended with some loss, because a considerable expense. Relying therefore on your former friendship, I have presumed to solicit your assistance, to purchase, from time to time, what goods I may happen to want from New-York, for which an order shall be remitted on delivery. At present I have only sent for a few articles, as

you will see, by the inclosed. I doubt not of your getting them as good and as cheap as possible; and if there is any thing I can do to serve you in this part of the country, you may depend on its being executed with the utmost fidelity and dispatch.

SIR,

I am, sir, your sincere friend.

LETTER XXIL

The Answer.

YOUR'S I received, and am extremely glad to hear of your being so comfortably settled. There is a pleasure in looking back to those youthful days we spent together in harmless amusements, and it gives me great pleasure to think that I have it in my power to be any way of service to my friend. The goods you ordered are sent in the Hudson Packet, directed to you. They are as good and as cheap as any to be had in NewYork, and I hope you will be a considerable gainer With respect to your kind proffer of service, I heartily thank you, and shall, as occasion requires, trouble you with something of that nature, In the mean time be sure to command mne in every thing wherein I can serve you, 25 it will give the greatest pleasure to

Your sincere friend.

ON LOVE, COURTSHIP, AND MARRIAGE,

LETTER XXIII.

From a young Gentleman to a Lady, with whom he is if

MADAM,

Love.

I am

I HAVE three times attempted to give you a verbal relation of the contents of this letter; but my heart as often failed. I know not in what light it may be considered, only if I can form any notion of my own heart, from the impression made on it by your many amiable accom plishments, my happiness in this world will, in a great measure, depend on your answer. not precipitate, madam, nor would I desire your hand, if your heart did not accompany it. My circumstances are independent, and my charac ter hitherto unblemished, of which you shall have the most undoubted proof. You have already seen some of my relations at your aunt's, in Read-street, particularly my mother, with whom I now live. Your aunt will inform you concerning our family, and if it is to your satisfaction, I shall not only consider myself as extremely happy, but shall also make it the principal study of my future life to spend my days in the company of her whom I do prefer to all others in the world. I shall wait for your answer with the utmost impatience, and am,

Madam, your real admirer.

SIR,

LETTER XXIV.
The Lady's Answer,

1 RECEIVED your letter last night, and as it was on a subject I had not yet any thoughts of, you will not wonder when I tell you I was a good deal surprised. Although I have seen you at different times, yet I had not the most distant thoughts of your making proposals of such a nature. Those of your sex have often asserted that we are fond of flattery, and mighty pleased to be praised; I shall therefore suppose it to be true, and excuse you for those fulsome encomiums bestowed upon me in your letter ; but am afraid, was I to comply with your proposals, you would soon be convinced that the charms you mention, and seem to value so much, are merely exterior appearances, which, like the summer's flower, will very soon fade, and all those mighty professions of love will end at last in indifference, or, which is worse, in disgust. You desire me to inquire of my aunt concerning your character and family. You must excuse me when I tell you, that I am obliged to decline making any such inquiry. However, as your behaviour, when in company, was always agreeable, I shall treat you with as much respect as is consistent with common decorum. My worthy guardian, Mr. Melvill, is now at his seat at Bloomingdale, and his conduct to me has been so much like that of a parent, that I don't choose to take one step in an affair of such importance without both his consent and approbation.