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correspondence。
〃We must burn them； I think；〃 said Miss Matty； looking doubtfully at
me。 〃No one will care for them when I am gone。〃 And one by one
she dropped them into the middle of the fire； watching each blaze up； die
out； and rise away； in faint； white； ghostly semblance； up the chimney；
before she gave another to the same fate。 The room was light enough
now； but I； like her； was fascinated into watching the destruction of
those letters； into which the honest warmth of a manly heart had been
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poured forth。
The next letter； likewise docketed by Miss Jenkyns； was endorsed；
〃Letter of pious congratulation and exhortation from my venerable
grandfather to my beloved mother； on occasion of my own birth。 Also
some practical remarks on the desirability of keeping warm the
extremities of infants； from my excellent grandmother。〃
The first part was； indeed； a severe and forcible picture of the
responsibilities of mothers； and a warning against the evils that were in
the world； and lying in ghastly wait for the little baby of two days old。
His wife did not write； said the old gentleman； because he had forbidden
it； she being indisposed with a sprained ankle； which （he said） quite
incapacitated her from holding a pen。 However； at the foot of the page
was a small 〃T。O。；〃 and on turning it over； sure enough； there was a
letter to 〃my dear； dearest Molly；〃 begging her； when she left her room；
whatever she did； to go UP stairs before going DOWN： and telling her to
wrap her baby's feet up in flannel； and keep it warm by the fire； although
it was summer； for babies were so tender。
It was pretty to see from the letters； which were evidently exchanged
with some frequency between the young mother and the grandmother；
how the girlish vanity was being weeded out of her heart by love for her
baby。 The white 〃Paduasoy〃 figured again in the letters； with almost as
much vigour as before。 In one； it was being made into a christening
cloak for the baby。 It decked it when it went with its parents to spend a
day or two at Arley Hall。 It added to its charms； when it was 〃the
prettiest little baby that ever was seen。 Dear mother； I wish you could
see her！ Without any pershality； I do think she will grow up a regular
bewty！〃 I thought of Miss Jenkyns； grey； withered； and wrinkled； and I
wondered if her mother had known her in the courts of heaven： and then
I knew that she had； and that they stood there in angelic guise。
There was a great gap before any of the rector's letters appeared。
And then his wife had changed her mode of her endorsement。 It was
no longer from； 〃My dearest John；〃 it was from 〃My Honoured
Husband。〃 The letters were written on occasion of the publication of
the same sermon which was represented in the picture。 The preaching
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before 〃My Lord Judge；〃 and the 〃publishing by request；〃 was evidently
the culminating point … the event of his life。 It had been necessary for
him to go up to London to superintend it through the press。 Many
friends had to be called upon and consulted before he could decide on
any printer fit for so onerous a task； and at length it was arranged that J。
and J。 Rivingtons were to have the honourable responsibility。 The
worthy rector seemed to be strung up by the occasion to a high literary
pitch； for he could hardly write a letter to his wife without cropping out
into Latin。 I remember the end of one of his letters ran thus： 〃I shall
ever hold the virtuous qualities of my Molly in remembrance； DUM
MEMOR IPSE MEI； DUM SPIRITUS REGIT ARTUS；〃 which；
considering that the English of his correspondent was sometimes at fault
in grammar； and often in spelling； might be taken as a proof of how
much he 〃idealised his Molly；〃 and； as Miss Jenkyns used to say；
〃People talk a great deal about idealising now…a…days； whatever that may
mean。〃 But this was nothing to a fit of writing classical poetry which
soon seized him； in which his Molly figured away as 〃Maria。〃 The
letter containing the CARMEN was endorsed by her； 〃Hebrew verses
sent me by my honoured husband。 I thowt to have had a letter about
killing the pig； but must wait。 Mem。； to send the poetry to Sir Peter
Arley； as my husband desires。〃 And in a post… scriptum note in his
handwriting it was stated that the Ode had appeared in the
GENTLEMAN'S MAGAZINE； December 1782。
Her letters back to her husband （treasured as fondly by him as if they
had been M。 T。 CICERONIS EPISTOLAE） were more satisfactory to an
absent husband and father than his could ever have been to her。 She
told him how Deborah sewed her seam very neatly every day； and read
to her in the books he had set her； how she was a very 〃forrard；〃 good
child； but would ask questions her mother could not answer； but how she
did not let herself down by saying she did not know； but took to stirring
the fire； or sending the 〃forrard〃 child on an errand。 Matty was now
the mother's darling； and promised （like her sister at her age）； to be a
great beauty。 I was reading this aloud to Miss Matty； who smiled and
sighed a little at the hope； so fondly expressed； that 〃little Matty might
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not be vain； even if she were