g ladies' hopes.

Towards the end of the autumn, Mr Morgan, a man of fortune who had spent
above half a year in a fruitless pursuit after health, made a visit to a
gentleman in the neighbourhood. Unfortunately Miss Melvyn's charms made
a conquest of this gentleman, in whom age had not gained a victory over
passion. Miss Melvyn's humility occasioned her being the last person who
perceived the impression she had made on his heart, and his age would
scarcely suffer her to believe her senses when the symptoms became most
apparent. A girl may find some amusement in a young lover, though she
feels no disposition in herself to return his passion, her vanity is
flattered by his addresses, and a woman must be very little disposed to
be pleased, who receives no pleasure from one who is continually
endeavouring to oblige and amuse her; but the most whimsical of the
poets never fancied a grey-bearded Cupid, or represented Hymen with a
torch in one hand, and a crutch in the other. I allow that

'Oft the matrimonial Cupid,
Lash'd on by time grows tir'd and stupid,'

and does not always wear that blooming joyous countenance, which the
painters give him; but should any capricious artist take the sickle out
of the hand of old Time, and in its place put Hymen's torch, the picture
might be thought very unnatural, yet would represent a proper hymeneal
Cupid to attend Mr Morgan to the altar.

Such a lover could excite no emotion in his mistress's heart but
disgust. Miss Melvyn's principles were too delicate to suffer her to
think she had any title to ridicule a man for his partiality to her,
however ill-suited to himself; but no consideration could prevent his
addresses from being extremely disagreeable: however, she could without
any great difficulty have so far commanded herself, as to have treated
him with complaisance, till he gave her an opportunity of rejecting his
courtship, had she not been apprehensive that this affair would give
Lady Melvyn a new subject for persecution. She was pretty certain that
lady would be glad to settle her in another county; and that her
averseness to so ill-suited a marriage would only serve as an additional
recommendation to her mother. She was indeed determined in justice to Mr
Morgan and compassion to herself, not to be induced by any solicitations
to marry a man whom she could not hope that even the strongest
attachment to duty could render so well as indifferent to her, but she
dreaded the me