| | 1 | Author: | Rowson
Mrs.
1762-1824 | Requires cookie* | | | Title: | Charlotte's daughter  | | | | Published: | 1997 | | | | Subjects: | University of Virginia Library, Text collection | UVA-LIB-Text | University of Virginia Library, Early American Fiction, 1789-1875 | UVA-LIB-EarlyAmFict1789-1875 | | | | Description: | “What are you doing there Lucy?” said Mrs.
Cavendish to a lovely girl, about fifteen years old.
She was kneeling at the feet of an old man sitting
just within the door of a small thatched cottage situated
about five miles from Southampton on the coast
of Hampshire. “What are you doing there child?”
said she, in rather a sharp tone, repeating her question. I am sensible you will blame the step
I am about to take, but I cannot be happy unless as
the wife of Sir Stephen Haynes. Before you will
receive this, I shall be considerably advanced on the
road to Scotland, not that, being my own mistress,
any one has a right to control me, but I dreaded expostulation,
shuddered at the idea of published banns,
or a formal wedding by license, with settlements,
lawyers, and parchments. These things have, I believe,
little to do with love.—” You cannot be surprised, Theresa, after
the explanation which took place between Lady
Mary and myself yesterday, that I should declare
my utter inability to make those settlements which
I talked of before our excursion to the north. I
must beg you to make my acknowledgments to the
dear generous girl for all marks of favour and kindness
bestowed by her on her unworthy, humble
servant, but my finances are in such a state, that
it is totally impossible for me to take a journey to
Wilts, as proposed, or to solicit her company to
France, whither I must repair as speedily as possible,
to rusticate; whilst my affairs in England are put in
train to restore me to some comparative degree of
affluence. My friend, Richard Craftly, Esq. has offered
the cottage to you and your lovely friend as long
as you may please to occupy it. He is, Miss Brenton,
a man of good abilities, amiable disposition, and
possessed of a small but genteel and unincumbered
estate, which upon the death of his mother will be
augmented. He will call on you this afternoon, I
recommend him to your notice. My best wishes
attend you and your fair associate Lady Mary. “From the hour when I closed the eyes of your
beloved, ill fated mother, you, my dear Lucy, have
been the delight and solace of your grandmother and
myself. And your amiable disposition has led us to
hope, that you may in future be the happy inheritress
of the estate and property on which we have lived
above thirty-five years: happy, my child, in bestowing
11*
comfort on others, and doubly happy in the
enjoyment of reflected joy from grateful hearts. “I have sat down, my dear sir, to fulfil
a most unpleasant task in communicating to you by
the desire of our lovely and esteemed friend, Miss
Blakeney, a copy of her grandfather's letter, which
I inclose, thinking it best to keep the original in my
possession. | | | Similar Items: | Find |
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