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Poetess Archive: Anna Barbauld's Prose Works |
"Letter to Miss Taylor" (1804)
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[113] |
1. I may call you dear Susan, may not I? for I can love you, if not better, yet more familiarly and at my ease under that appellation than under the more formal one of Miss Taylor, though you have now a train to your gown, and are, I suppose, at Norwich invested with all the rights of womanhood. I have many things to thank you for: -- in the first place for a charming letter, which has both amused and delighted us. In the next place, I have to thank you for a very elegant veil, which is very beautiful in itself, and receives great additional value from being the work of your ingenious fingers. I have brought it here to parade with upon the pantiles, being by much the smartest part of my dress. O that you were here, Susan, to exhibit upon a donky -- I cannot tell whether my orthography is right, but a donky is the monture in high fashion here; and I assure you, when
[114] |
2. It is the way to subscribe for every thing here; -- to the library, &c.: and among other things we were asked on the Pantiles to subscribe for eating fruit as we pass backwards and forwards. "How much?" -- "Half-a-crown." "But for how long a time?" -- "As long as you please." "But I should soon eat half-a-crown's worth of fruit." -- "O, you are upon honour!"
3. There are pleasant walks on the hills here, and picturesque views of the town, which, like Bath, is seen to advantage by lying in a hollow. It bears the marks of having been long a place of resort, from the number of good and rather old-
[115] |
4. We were interested in your account of Cambridge, and glad you saw not only buildings but men. With a mind prepared as yours is, how much pleasure have you to enjoy from seeing! That all your improvements may produce you pleasure, and all your pleasures tend to improvement, is the wish of