Fruits of Retirement Or, Miscellaneous Poems, Moral and Divine. Being Some Contemplations, Letters, &c. Written on a Variety of Subjects and Occasions. By Mary Mollineux ... To which is Prefixed, Some Account of the Author |
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Another Letter to a Friend.
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 | Fruits of Retirement |  |
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Another Letter to a Friend.
My hasty Pen, about to write Unkind,(When interrupted by my zealous Mind)
Again admits of dear Marcaria; tho'
Thy tedious Silence gives affront unto
True Cordial Friendship, which in ev'ry State
Sweetly delighteth to communicate
Pure Streams of Love, as opportunity
Permits, to manifest its Sympathy:
Which, seeming now to cease, gives cause of doubt,
Some new Concern hath jostled Friendship out
From that fair Bosom; where, if yet it dwell,
'Twill by its influencing Power dispel
What'er would stop its Current: For we see
That standing Pools oft-times corrupted be,
When smaller Brooks, whose Streams do gently glide
Along their Banks, are purg'd and purify'd.
Alas, that Love that burns with fervency,
Is frequently perplext with Jealousie!
Then why so Silent? Why so strangely Mute?
Must I indeed not only find my Suit
Ungranted, but Disdain'd? And must I be
Therefore unanswer'd, for a Penalty
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Tho' I forgot once a Request of thine,
I did not wholly throw aside my Pen;
But, as full fraught with other matter, when
In hopes of sending, though I did omit
To answer each Punctilio, yet I writ,
(Grateful or not:) For my Officious Quill,
As formerly engag'd, is ready still
To write to thee.—
Ah! Canst thou think what Doubtings do attend,
Whether sad Sickness, or some rival Friend
May now so long restrain thy careless Pen,
As if it would not deign to write ag'in?
Or must that Friendship in Oblivion Iye,
That seems Immortal? Then send Reasons why:
How should I else resent this Injury?
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