Pamela; or, Virtue Rewarded. In a Series of Familiar Letters: Vol. IV. Letter I

Summary

From Miss Darnford to Mrs. B.

My dearest Mrs. B.

We are greatly obliged to you for every particular Article in your entertaining Journal, which you have brought sooner than we wish’d to a Conclusion. We cannot express how much we admire you for your judicious Charities, so easy to be practised, yet so uncommon in the Manner; and for your inimitable Conduct in the Affair of your frail Polly, and the silly Mr. H.

Your Account of the Visit of the Four Rakes, and of your Parting with your noble Guests; your Verses, and Mr. H.'s Letter, (an Original indeed!) have all greatly entertain’d us, as your Prerogative Hints have amus’d us: But we defer our Opinions of those Hints, till we have the Case more fully explain’d.

But, my dear Friend, are you not in Danger of falling into a too thoughtful and gloomy way? By the latter Part of your Letter, we are afraid you are; and my Mamma, and Mrs. Jones, and Mrs. Peters, injoin me to write, to caution you on that Head. But there is the less need of it, because your Prudence will always suggest to you Reasons, as it does in that very Letter, that must out-balance your Fears. Think little, and hope much, is a good Lesson in your Case, and to a Lady of your Temper; and I hope Lady Davers will not in vain have given you that Caution. After all, I dare say, your Thoughtfulness is but symptomatical, and will go off, in proper Time.

Mean time, permit me to chuse you a Subject, that will certainly divert you. You must know, that I have been a diligent Observer of the Conduct of People in the marry’d Life to each other, and have often pronounced, that there cannot be any tolerable Happiness in it, unless the one or the other makes such Sacrifices of their Inclinations and Humours, as renders it a State very little desirable to free and generous Minds. Of this I see an Instance in our own Family; for tho’ my Papa and Mamma live very happily, it is all owing to one Side, I need not say which.