Sir Arthur found means to write to the minx, as if unknown to her guardian. Darts, flames, and distresses, were suggested in his letter. The girl began to relent; the guardian to suspect: he renexx:ed his prohibition; cunning creature 1 The affair now wore a face of difficulty. She answered the young gentleman’s letters. It became a regular love-affair of the heroic kind. And, at last Vv’hat at last! Why, the young lady, attended only by her faithful Delia, who had been assistant to the lovers in their correspondence, ran away from an inexorable guar-dian, to Sir Arthur; married him; and, in a few days, writing an humble letter for her clothes, ac-knowledged rashness, which she laid at the door of LOVE, and so-forth. The guardian desired a meeting with the love-yers; now no more love-yers, but man and ivijh. They met, with trembling on her side, with pretended apprehension on Sir Arthur’s, for having disobliged so good a guardian. The guardian was in high good-humour. He forgave them both, at the tirst v.ord, and surrendered up his trust with pleasure. The girl vi-as surprised at his unexpected goodness; and had slie not been ac-tually nailed down by the solemnity, v/ould very probably have again resumed her heroics.

Well, but I am charmed with >Irs. Shirley’s Eggleton, as well as uitii her account of herself in lier heroic days. Little did I think that .she ever wasvfr/ enough to be infected: but, as she says, ro-mances v/ere the fashionable reading of her youthful ^ears.

Tell aunt Selby that I am not an enemy to old maids; but only to those ill qualities which I should equally dislike in old or in young a in/— bodies. I love Lady Gertrude, and even aunt Eleanor, for those qualities that are Inve-ahlc in them. But you see that your Nancy, the mild, good-natured Nancy, could not forbear laughing at the idea of the youns-old Penelope Arby! yet knows she not, says the malicious Lucy, what may be her own case. But I have appealed for you; and to whom? To Lady Gertrude. I was writing to her on a particular occasion, when your pacquetwas brought me; and, in order to enliven my bubject, transcribed three lines of Lucy’s query upon defending the single state. She was but at Eniicld, and returned me the following by the same messenger; the other part of mv letter requiring an immediate answer.

“Your question, my dearest niece, is whimsically asked: you tell me that a whole room-full of young country ladies wait only the success of an appeal you have referred to me, to know whether they shall instantly dispose of themselves to recruiting officers, mountebanks, and fox — hunters; or venture to live on with the melancholy title of old maids, in an unsupported, undefended state.