myself my family and expectancies are not unworthy
of your notice . . . . I have not, I assure you, as yet
endeavoured to win her affections, for fear it might be
repugnant to a father's will."

When he has obtained this desirable old
gentleman's consent, he proceeds to break off
with another lady to whom he had engaged
himself; but who is not so wealthy as the
second, in just such a style as we, his
enemies, should have expected of him.

119. . . . . " My dear,—-With pain I utter it—-I
must resign all hopes of our future union; ask me
not wherefore; my answer would inflict an additional
pang in the breasts of both. This is no hasty resolve
. . . . it is essential to our mutual happiness and
welfare. . . . .  I will send your letters under seal,
entreating, however, that you will grant me the
indulgence of being allowed to keep only one as a
memorial of the past! and with this request I bid you a
painful but affectionate adieu."

Observe, how, when he is committing a
baseness, his style, like Marlborough's, rises
always higher, and his tone becomes
additionally moral and improving. Our female
friend, however (of Cappe House Seminary),
will be fully a match for him; she is far from
being one of those enthusiastic young ladies
ready to marry, off-hand, without at least a
tolerable prospect.

"We are both young," she writes in letter 67, and
adds sarcastically, " myself especially; and it is of no
use for us to rush into a state of life which we have
not the means of supporting." (This all arises, we
are confident, from some false statement made by the
pattern young man in reference to his pecuniary
position, and to prevent his having to make settlements).
"Should you be so fortunate, however, as to obtain
the situation of which Mr.——- has held out hopes,
we shall be able to marry without fear."

However, as we have said, this marriage
did certainly come off, as is proved by the
following sentences culled from letters 117
and 143: the former is from an old friend
proposing a day for his nuptials: always
with the same delicate modesty and respectful
sensitiveness for the feelings of others:

"The happy day to which I have looked forward as
the blissful reward of our mutual constancy is not far
distant, if the proposal I am now about to make should
meet the approbation of yourself and parents."

In letter 143, of a much later date, we find
him excusing himself very characteristically
from paying a bill; he sends one-tenth or so
of what is due and accompanies the scanty
instalment with these words:

"I fully expected to be able to meet your bill in
full when I last wrote to you, and should have done
so but for a severe domestic affliction which has
interfered with my paying my usual attention to
business."

He made capital, as we fully expected
our pattern letter-writer would do, out
of even the death of his wife; and our
impression is, not only that he poisoned, or
otherwise made away with her, but also that
she richly deserved it.

There is yet another little book to be
studied on the customs of society and the
manners of the best circles, called Etiquette
for Ladies and Gentlemen, and then we shall
have perhaps received all the information
regarding our P's and Q's, which the human
mind is capable of retaining. This last
work has the advantage of having been
originally French; but it has been translated
into our own language and disseminated to
the extent of two editions in this savage
country, through the influence, as it seems,
of some good missionary society of the
Faubourg St. Germain. The author—- we have
his own word for it—-is himself personally
acquainted with people of the highest rank
and reputation, and has found it sometimes
hard to preserve that calm judgment which
he recommends so strongly to others, in
the intoxication produced by beauty,
harmony, and perfume. Let us then, by all
means, attend to the instructions of such a
monitor.

The hand of a gentleman should be always
gloved; what would be thought of a man
who was seen at church, without those articles,
or of another who could dance without kids ?
On a visit of condolence, attire yourself in a
grave-coloured suit; for a friendly call, dress
neatly but not with costliness; and reserve
all splendour of costume for your visits of
ceremony.

To place your hat on any article of
furniture is ungenteel—-to lay it on a bed (!)
is unpardonable. Crossing the legs or
stretching them out at full length is
equally improper. Perfect cleanliness not
only affords an agreeable sensation of
comfort, but imparts an air of confidence springing
from the consciousness that you need not
fear investigation. But our author is far
from being exacting in this respect after
all; only, let your face and neck be clean,
he says, "and I particularly recommend
attention to your ears." This unnecessary
minuteness (as one would think) upon such
a subject is more than counterbalanced,
however, by the grace and delicacy he
exhibits in the art of choosing a bouquet.
For a young girl the recipe is as follows:
Take a white rose-bud just ready to unfold,
a spray of jessamine and some violets, never
intermixing with these dahlias, peonies,
ranunculuses, or scabias. A branch of the
orange-tree, in blossom, will be an appropriate
present for a young lady; for a young
wife, you may smilingly cull a spray of
myrtle. Camellias, rose-laurels, and large
roses you must reserve for ladies of maturer
age. The delicate flower of the Bengal rose,
open or otherwise, may be offered to a young
girl.

Everybody in the best circle says, "Sir, may
I offer you " this or that, which may happen to
be before him; not, " will you take," or " will