any of your customers reside, and although they complain much of the decay of trade, yet their payments and orders have been as well as could reasonably be expected, and indeed I think trade is beginning to revive. I have the pleasure to inform you, that, in the places where 1 have been, there is not any appearance of failing; and the people have been so well pleased with your goods and fair dealing, that I have obtained many new orders. I have likewise received a dividend of sixty cents in the dollar of the effects of Mr. Cambrick, the linen draper at Hartford, who failed last year, and there is still something remaining; so that upon the whole your loss will not be so great as was at first expected. I have finished your business in this town, and set off tomorrow for New-London, where I shall exect to hear from you, if you have any thing particular to transact before I return, and am, sir, with duty and respect, Your obedient and faithful servant. MR. TRUEMAN, LETTER 84. The Master's Answer. I received yours, dated the 2d inst. at New-Haven, and am extremely glad to hear of your success. It has, as you observed, been greater than expected. I am much pleased with your honest fidelity, in transacting my business with so much care and industry; and as you are now at New-London, I shall take this opportunity of intrusting you with an affair of importance. There is daily expected at that port the schooner Rover, Captain Johnson, laden with sugar and indigo from Jamaica : and as I am informed the proprietors are desirous of disposing of the whole cargó by private contract. When you have examined the goods, I leave it to your own discretion to purchase the whole, as I think it must be an exceeding good bargain. If you have not money sufficient, give them an order on me for the remainder, payable at sight. I leave the whole to yourself, and shall expect to hear from you soon. SIR, LETTER 85. Recommending a Man Servant. Yours, &c. The bearer has served me with integrity and fidelity these three years, but having a desire to settle in Philadelphia, he left my house about a week ago, and by a letter received from him this day, I find you are willing to employ him on my recommendation; and it is with the greatest pleasure that I comply with his request. His behaviour, while with me, was strictly honest, sober and diligent, and I doubt not that it will be the same with you. I have sent this enclosed in one to himself, and if you employ him I hope he will give satisfaction. I am, sir, your humble servant. LETTER 86. BIR, The Answer. I received your obliging letter in recommendation of the young man, and in consequence of that have taken him into my family. I doubt not from what you say, of his giving satisfaction, and you may be assured of his being treated with humanity, and rewarded according to his merI am, sir, your humble servant. it. LETTER 87, From a country Storekeeper, to his friend in New-York, desiring him to send him some goods. SIR, 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. But 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 presume 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 enclosed. I doubt not of your getting them as good and 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 despatch. I am, sir, your sincere friend. SIR, LETTER 88. The Answer. Yours I received, and am 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 me in every thing wherein I can be of service to you, as it will give the greasest pleasure to Your sincere friend. LETTER 89. From a country Storekeeper, to a Merchant in New-York, complaining of the badness of his goods. SIR, When I first began to correspond with you it was my fixed resolution to act with integrity and honor, expecting the same in return. I must indeed confess that the goods you sent me for some time were as good as any I could purchase of another, and so far I had not any reason to complain. But now the case is quite different. The two last parcels you From sent me are so bad that I dare not offer them to my customers. what, sir, does this proceed? Have I ever been deficient in my payments? No, you dare not accuse me with any thing of that nature. However, I am obliged to tell you, that unless you send me others in their room, I must either withdraw my correspondence, or shut up my store. You may choose which you please, and let me beg to have your answer per return of post, as I am in immediate want of these goods, and in danger of losing my customers by a delay. In so doing you will oblige Your well wisher. LETTER 90. SIR, I received yours, and an extremely sorry to hear that the goods sent you are so bad. I know I had some such in my store, but was determined to sell them at a low rate, without ever thinking of their being sent to any of my customers, particularly so valuable a correspondent as yourself. By some mistake my clerks have inadvertently sent them, for which I am extremely sorry; but, in order to make you amends, I sent by this day's packet those which I originally intended for you, at my own expense. I hope you will excuse this, and be assured you shall never be served in such a manner for the future. From a Tradesman in distressed circumstances, desiring a Letter of License. SIR, It is now above ten years since I first had dealings with you, and during that time you well know that my payments were regular, but, at present, am sorry that my affairs are so perplexed, that it is not in my power to comply with the just demands of my creditors, nor even to pay them any thing until my affairs are settled; for that reason, sir, I have sent to you, desiring a letter of license for only twelve months, in which time I hope to be able to settle my affairs to their satisfaction; but if they will not comply with this, I am utterly ruined. Your answer is impatiently expected by Your obedient humble servant. LETTER 92. The Answer. SIR, Yours I received, and am very sorry to hear of your distress. I have called a meeting of the creditors, and doubt not they will accede to your honorable proposal. I am, sir, your real friend. PART III. LETTERS ON LOVE, COURTSHIP, AND MARRIAGE LETTER 93. From a young Gentleman to a Lady with whom he is in love. MADAM, I have three times attempted to give you a verbal relation of the contents of this letter; but my heart has 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 accomplishments, my happiness in this world will, in a great measure, depend on your answer. I am not precipitate, madam, nor would I desire your hand if your heart did not accompany it. My circumstances are independent, my character hitherto unblemished, of which you shall have the most undoubted proof. You have already seen some of my relatious 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 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, madYour real admirer. am, SIR, LETTER 94. The Lady's Answer. I 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 and familiarly conversed with you at different times, yet I had not the most distant thoughts of your making proposals of such a nature. Some of your sex have often asserted that we are fond of flattery, and very much pleased with praise; I shall therefore suppose you one of that class, and excuse you for those encomiums bestowed upon me in your letter; but am afraid, were 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 either in indifference, or, which is worse, 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 has been so much like that of a parent, that I do not choose to take one step in an affair of such importance without both his consent and approbation. There is an appearance of sincerity runs through your letter; but there is one particular to which I have a very strong objection; you say that you live with your mother, yet you do not say that you have either communicated your sentiments to her or to your other relations. I must freely and honestly tell you that as I would not disoblige my own relations, neither would I, on any consideration, admit of any addresses contrary to the inclinations of yours. If you can clear up this to my satisfaction, I shall send you a more explicit answer, and am, sir, Your most obedient humble servant. DEAR MADAM, LETTER 95. The Gentleman's Reply. I return you a thousand thanks for your letter, and it is with the greatest pleasure I can clear up to your satisfaction the matter you doubted of. Before I wrote to you I communicated the affair to my two cousins, but had not courage enough to mention it to my mother, but that is now over, and nothing, she says, would give her greater pleasure than to see me married to a young lady of your amiable character; nay, so far is she from having any objection, that she would have waited on you as the bearer of this, had I not persuaded her against it, as she has been these three days afflicted with a severe cold, and I was afraid that if she ventured abroad so soon it might he attended with dangerous consequences. But to convince you of my sincerity, she has sent the enclosed, written with her own hand; and whatever may be the contents, I solemnly assure you I am totally ignorant, except that she told me it was in approbation of my suit. If you will give me leave to wait you I shall then be able to explain things more particularly. I am, dear madam, your real lover. on LETTER 96. From the young Gentleman's Mother to the young Lady. DEAR MISS, If you find any thing in these lines improperly written you will candidly excuse it, as coming from the hands of a parent, in behalf of an only, beloved, and dutiful son. My dear Charles has told me that you have made such an impression on him, that he knows not how to be happy in any one else, and it gives me great happiness to find that he has placed his affections on so worthy an object. Indeed it has been my principal study to instruct him in the principles of our holy religion; well knowing that those who do not fear God will never pay any regard to domestic duties. His father died when his son was only ten months old, and being deprived of the parent all my consolation was that I had his image left in the son. I nursed him with all the tenderness, possible, and even taught him to read and write. When he was of proper age I sent him to a boarding school, |