chatham-place.

Your sentiments and mine, Harriet, perfectly coincide; I see no reason to be ashamed of a tender attachment, when founded on virtue, and the merit of its object. – This idea made me so unreservedly communicate to you my feelings towards Charles Montgomery. – You know him; I need not therefore delineate either his person or perfections: he is now in London; and I have promised to join my fate with his on Tuesday next. – To that period I look forwards without any disagreeable apprehensions of the consequence: my principal concern arises from reflecting, that I cannot have your company on the occasion. Lady Jane Selwyn and Miss Fitzallan will both be with me; yet am I so ungrateful as to feel dissatisfied that I cannot have my Harriet./ Immediately after the ceremony is over, we purpose setting out for Sussex, where we intend to stay about five weeks, and then go into Yorkshire. The Major and Mrs Herbert will give us their company during the time we stay at the former place; but the expectation of a speedy addition to their family prevents their going with us to the latter, which is indeed a disappointment to me. My father will be with us at both places. – He flatters me with a hope of his declining business, that he may be at leisure to devote more of his time to us than that would permit him to do; but I fear this is merely flattery; for I am sensible his commercial concerns form a large part of the pleasures of his life, and I feel less reluctance at his yielding himself up so much to them, from the consideration that he might not enjoy either health or spirits in so excellent a degree as he now does, if he were deprived of the employment and amusement which business affords him. My observation oft en leads me to think he manages his time much more advantageously than most other men I have ever known.