2792. htters by Thomson. 149 



pen, yet I cannot forbear writing to you again. Is it not, 

 however, barbarous, — not to send me a few soft charac- 

 ters, — one pretty name to chear my mind withal f 



How easily some people might make others happy if 

 they would I — But it is na small comfort to me, since you 

 will not write, that I fliall soon have the pleasure of be- 

 ing in your company ; and then, though I were down- 

 right piqued, I (hall forget it all in a moment. 



I cannot help telling you of a very pleasing scene I 

 lately saw ; 



In the middle of a green * there stands a peaceful 

 lowly habitation, into which having entered, I beheld In- 

 nocence f , sweet Innocence ! asleep. Your heart would 

 have yearned, your eyes perhaps overflowed with tears of 

 joy, to see how charming he looked, — like a young che- 

 rub dropt from heaven, if they be so happy as to have 



young cherubs there. When awaked, it is not to be 



imagined with what complacency and case, what soft se- 

 renity, altogether unmixed with the least cloud, he open- 

 ed his eyes. He danced with joy in his nurse's arms. 

 His eves not only smiled, but laughed, and spoKe. This 

 put me in mind of a certain near relation of his whom I 

 need not name. 



" What delights thee so, thou lovely babe ? Art thou- 

 thinking of thy mother's recovery J? Does some kind 

 power imprefs upon thee a presage of thy future happinefs 

 under her tender care ?" I touch'd him with unhallowed 

 lips, and this restored me to the good opinion of the nurse, 

 who had neither forgotten nor forgiven my having seem- 

 ed to slight that favour once before. 



While thus I gazed v/ith sincere, and virtuous satis- 

 faction, I could most pathetically have addrefsed the gny 

 wretches of the age, the joylefs inmates of Bacheloi's 



♦ Richmond Green. •{■ The child o£ Amanda's slsfer, 



* The m'ithfr •■v.;s .-■. E;'.h on account jf in.lisp'^iuon. 



