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101         Juvenile Letters. 

Sad Philomel! ah, quit they haunt,
Yon diftant [distant] woods among, 
And round my friendly grotto chaunt
Thy fweetly [sweetly] plaintive fong [song].

Let not the harmlefs [harmless] Redbreaft [Redbreast] fear, 
Domeftic [Domestic] bird, to come
And feek [seek] a fure [sure] afylum [asylum] here, 
With one that loves his home.

My trees for you, ye artlefs [artless] tribe, 
Shall ftore [store] of fruit preferve [preserve]; 
Oh, let me thus your friendfhip [friendship] bribe!
Come, feed without referve [reserve].

For you thefe [these] cherries I protect,
To you thefe [these] plums belong;
Sweet is the fruit that you have peck'd,
But fweeter [sweeter] far your fong [song],

Let then this league betwixt us made, 
Our mutual intereft [interest] guard, 
Mine be the gift of fruit and fhade [shade];
Your fongs [songs] be my reward.
Adieu.
Fanny Bloomfield
Mifs [Miss] Helen Herbert
                                  
                                  Letter
Juvenile Letters                    105

Letter XXXVI.

From Mifs [Miss] Margaret Mansfield to Mifs [Miss] Sophia Stanley.
                   Portland, March 10th, 1803
Dear Sophia, 

Our greatly beloved, and much lamented Amanda is no more! No doubt, you were prepared to receive the mournful tidings, as you must have heard, from time to time, of her declining ftate [state]. Her immortal part took its flight, as we truft [trust] for celeftial [celestial] regions, on Monday laft [last], at five o'clock in the afternoon. I was with her for feveral [several] hours before she breathed her laft [last]; and I am glad I was there. I hope I fhall [shall] find by experience, that "it is better to go to the houfe [house] of mourning, than to the houfe [house] of feafting [feasting]." Several of her acquaintance were prefent [present]; and I wifh [wish] you, my dear Sophia, had made one of the number. Such a fermon [sermon] as fhe [she] preached I never before heard! She was but a little over fixteen [sixteen], about one year older than myfelf [myself]; and yet it was observed