and
lady, and believe me to be dear Miss Bartlett

Your most obed^t Serv^t
E. LUCAS.

Again she writes in a tone of quaint sarcasm:

_Dear Miss Bartlett_:--

An old lady in our Neighbourhood is often
querreling with me for rising so early as 5
o'Clock in the morning, and is in great pain for
me least it should spoil my marriage, for she says
it will make me look old long before I am so; in
this however I believe she is mistaken, for what
ever contributes to health and pleasure of mind
must also contribute to good looks; but admitting
what she says, I reason with her thus. If I should
look older by this practise, I really am so; for
the longer time we are awake the longer time we
live, sleep is so much the Emblem of death, that I
think it may be rather called breathing than
living, thus then I have the advantage of the
sleepers in point of long life, so I beg you will
not be frighted by such sort of apprehensions as
those suggested above and for fear of y^r pretty
face give up y^r late pious resolution of early
rising.

My Mama joins with me in comp^{ts}. to M^r and
M^{rs} Pinckney. I send herewith Col^l Pinckney's
books, and shall be much obliged to him for
Virgil's books, notwithstanding this same old
Gentlewoman, (who I think too has a great
friendship for me) has a great spite at my books,
and had like to have thrown a vol^m of my
Plutarcks lives into the fire the other day, she
is sadly afraid she says I shall read myself
mad. . . .

Again in this strain, on the 6th of February, 1741, she writes, showing
that although she would have taken a girlish pleasure in amusement, her
sense of duty was too keen to allow her to leave the plantation very
often:

TO THE HONOURABLE C. PINCKNEY, ESQ.

Feb^r 6th, 1741.

_Sir_:--I received yesterday the favour of your
advice as a phisician and want no arguments to
convince me I should be much better for both my
good friends company, a much pleasanter
Prescription yours is, I am sure