192 HEXRY KIRKE WHITE's REilAINS. 



TO HIS BROTHER NEVILLE. 



Nottingham, Michaelmas-day, 1800. 

 Dear Neville, 



I cannot divine what, in an epistolary correspondence, 

 can have such charms (with people who write only com- 

 monplace occurrences 1 as to detach a man froui his usual 

 aiFairs, and make him waste time and paper on what 

 cannot be of the least real benefit to his correspondent. 

 Amongst relatives, certainly there is always an incite- 

 ment, we always feel anxiety for their welfare. But I 

 have no friend so dear to me, as to cause me to take the 

 trouble of reading his letters, if they only contained an 

 account of his health, and the mere nothings of the day ; 

 indeed, such a one would be unworthy of friendship. 

 What then is requisite to make one's correspondence 

 valuable ? I answer, sound sense. — Nothing more is re- 

 quisite ; as to the style, one may very readily excuse its 

 faults if repaid by the sentiments. You have better 

 natural abilities than many youth, but it is with regret 

 T see that you will not give yourself the trouble of writing 

 a good letter. There is hardly any species of composi- 

 tion (in my opinion) easier than the epistolary ; but, my 

 friend, you never found any art, however trivial, that 

 did not require some application at first. For, if an 

 artist, instead of endeavouring to surmount the difficul- 

 ties which presented themselves, were to rest contented 

 with mediocrity, how could he possibly ever arrive at 

 excellence ? Thus 'tis vrith you ; instead of that indefa- 

 tigable perseverance which, in other cases, is a leading 

 trait in your character, I hear you say, " Ah, my poor 

 brains were never formed for letter-writing — I shall i 

 never write a good letter," or some such phrases ; and thus, ' 

 by despairing of ever arriving at excellence, you render | 

 yourself hardly tolerable. You may, perhaps, think this , 

 art beneath your notice, or unw^orthy of your pains ; if i 

 so, you are assuredly mistaken, for there is hardly any- i 

 thing which would contribute more to the advancement j 

 of a young man, or which is more engaging. I 



