Letter LXIV

Summary

My dear Lady G.

You desired me to send you a little Specimen of my Nursery Tales and Stories, withwhich, as Miss Fenwick told you, on her Return to Lincolnshire, I entertain my Miss Goodwin, and my little Boys. But you make me too high a Compliment, when you tell me, it is for your own Instruction and Example. Yet you know, my dear Lady G. be your Motives what they will, I must obey you, altho’, were others to see it, I might expose myself to the Smiles and Contempt of Judges less prejudic’d in my Favour. So I will begin without any further Apology; and, as near as I can, give you those very Stories with which Miss Fenwick was so pleased, and of which she has made so favourable a Report.

Let me acquaint you then, that my Method is, To give Characters of Persons I have known in one Part or other of my Life, in feigned Names, whose Conduct may serve for Imitation or Warning to my dear attentive Miss; and sometimes I give Instances of good Boys and naughty Boys, for the sake of my Billy, andmy Davers; and they are continually coming about me, Dear Madam, a pretty Story now, cries Miss: And, Dear Mamma, tell me of good Boys, and of naughty Boys, cries Billy.

Miss is a surprising Child, for her Age, and is very familiar with many of the best Characters in the Spectators; and having a Smattering of Latin, and more than a Smattering of Italian, and being a perfect Mistress of French, is seldom at a Loss for the Derivation of even such Words as are not of English Original. And so I shall give you a Story in feigned Names, with which she is so delighted, that she has wrote it down. But I will first trespass on your Patience with one of my childish Tales.

Every Day once or twice, if I am not hinder’d, I cause Miss Goodwin, who plays and sings very prettily, to give a Tune or two to me and my Billy and Davers, who, as well as my Pamela, love and learn to touch the Keys, young as the latter is; and she will have a sweet Finger, I can see that; and a charming Ear; and her Voice is Musick itself!—Oh! the fond, fond Mother, I know you will say, on reading this!