Your mother is both old and infirm; old and infirm people have but few
sources of happiness--fewer almost than the comparatively young and
healthy can conceive; to deprive them of one of these is cruel. If
your mother is more composed when you are with her, stay with her. If
she would be unhappy in case you left her, stay with her. It will not
apparently, as far as short-sighted humanity can see, be for your
advantage to remain at ---, nor will you be praised and admired for
remaining at home to comfort your mother; yet, probably, your own
conscience will approve, and if it does, stay with her. I recommend
you to do what I am trying to do myself."
The remainder of this letter is only interesting to the reader as it
conveys a peremptory disclaimer of the report that the writer was engaged
to be married to her father's curate--the very same gentleman to whom,
eight years afterwards, she was united; and who, probably, even now,
although she was unconscious of the fact, had begun his service to her,
in the same tender and faithful spirit as that in which Jacob served for
Rachel. Others may have noticed this, though she did not.
A few more notes remain of her correspondence "on behalf of the Messrs.
Bell" with Mr. Aylott. On July 15th she says, "I suppose, as you have
not written, no other notices have yet appeared, nor has the demand for
the work increased.
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