Part 3 (2/2)

I have received your two Letters My Dear Miss J., and according to your desire I write immediately.

My writing is not very legible by a person not accustomed to it.

But I never could have intended to apply the word mistrust to you.

You expressed apprehension that your Letters might be seen by a third person; as they might have been returned to the Post Office.

I did not write the word _relatives_ but _relations_, and that not in the meaning of relatives. I adverted to your ordinary relations with other persons, which I said must be attended by some observance of their Habits and Customs.

However, there is an end of this matter. I hope that your writing to me will never be disturbed again by any checks or difficulties; or expressions which I a.s.sure you can never be intended to convey any meaning but one of kindness towards you, and of admiration of your Talents, your character and your Devotion to what is good. Believe me Ever Yours most sincerely

W.

Of the following letters Miss J. gives extracts in her Diary. There are few of his epistles in which the Duke fails to express his thanks to Miss J. for her kindness in writing to him. However gratifying this may have been to her, the constant repet.i.tion becomes monotonous to the indifferent reader. Miss J. writes:--

”The next letter from His Grace is dated July 11th, 1835, in which he writes--'You are mistaken in thinking that I at all disapprove of the independence of character and conduct which I had observed.

I hope that you may never feel otherwise towards me than in the State of Independence to say and write to me whatever your mind may suggest.'

”In his letter of July 18th the Duke writes--'I thank you for your Letter received this morning. What I meant by reflection was not to call your attention to anything particularly pa.s.sing in the world, but to the impressions made upon your own mind by any circ.u.mstance you might have observed.----You will tell me that G.o.d will direct you. So He will. But He has given us a Mind, the power of comparing and reflecting, of deciding what is true and what is false and He requires us to exercise our judgment in Matters on which He has given us the capability of forming judgment. You'll tell me that I am acting your part and teaching you instead of attending to you.

But I beg you observe it is only in explanation of what I wrote to you in a former letter upon the subject of your change of opinion respecting an individual at Ramsgate.'

”The Duke here refers to a Preacher who had spoken in the open air at Ramsgate of whom I had previously written.”

”The Duke's next letter implies that he understood I was about to return to Town, inducing him to express an intention of calling on me but such was not the will of The Lord of Lords, therefore I did not accede to it, but proceeded expeditiously from Ramsgate to Harrowgate. Here His Grace's letters followed me.”

LONDON, July 24th, 1835.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I received your Letter by the Post written on Wednesday; and have this day received that written in London to inform me that you was about to go to Harrowgate. I am much obliged to you for both.

It is true that I am in the habit of writing Answers to all Letters. But I feel great satisfaction in writing to some; to those in particular from whom I am desirous of receiving Letters; and who express a Desire to hear from me.

I am very glad that you corrected your first Impressions respecting your Preacher. I believe that we cannot too frequently pa.s.s in review our opinions upon what pa.s.ses before us. We shall find ourselves frequently in Error.

I sincerely hope that the Waters of Harrowgate, may have the effect of restoring Your Health entirely. Believe me Ever Yours most sincerely

W.

LONDON, August 3, 1835.

MY DEAR MISS J.,--I have received your letter of the 31st and I am really much concerned to learn that I have again created a feeling of displeasure in your Mind by having omitted to notice the Inconvenience which you felt upon your Journey to Harrowgate.

There is always Inconvenience in travelling in a Stage Coach. It cannot be otherwise. Indeed it is wonderful that there should be so little; and I must observe that there is less of a physical and personal Nature in travelling in this Manner in England than elsewhere. The Inconvenience felt in England is of a moral and mental description. It is formed of the trash and nonsense which a traveller is condemned to hear in these vehicles; because every body talks; and says not what he thinks but what the fancy of the Moment suggests. For this which was the particular Inconvenience which you suffered upon this Journey, there is no remedy, but _Patience;_ and I would add _Silence_.

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