As its the greatest mark of friendship and esteem absent Friends can shew each other in Writing and often communicating their thoughts to his fellow companions makes me endeavour to signalize myself in acquainting you from time to time and at all times my situation and employments of Life and could Wish you would take half the Pains of contriving me a Letter by any oppertunity as you may be well assured of its meeting with a very welcome reception my Place of Residence is at present at His Lordships where I might was my heart disengag'd pass my time very pleasantly as theres a very agreeable Young Lady Lives in the same house (Col^o George Fairfax's Wife's Sister[51]) but as thats only adding Fuel to fire it makes me the more uneasy for by often and unavoidably being in Company with her revives my former Passion for your Low Land Beauty[52] whereas was I to live more retired from yound Women I might in some measure eliviate my sorrows by burying that chast and troublesome Passion in the grave of oblivion or etarnall forgetfulness for as I am very well assured thats the only antidote or remedy that I ever shall be releivd by or only recess that can administer any cure or help to me as I am well convinced was I ever to attempt any thing I should only get a denial which would be only adding grief to uneasiness [Footnote 51: The young lady indicated was Miss Mary Cary, the daughter of Colonel Wilson Cary, of Ceeleys Hampton, Elisabeth City county, Va. For 34 years Mr. Cary was collector of customs for the lower James river district, and a man of large wealth and aristocratic notions. He had four daughters: Sarah, who married George W. Fairfax, of "Belvoir"; Mary, who married in 1754, Edward Ambler of Jamestown; Anna, who married Robert Carter Nicholas; and Elizabeth, who married Rev. Bryan, 8th Lord Fairfax. Col. Cary had also one son Wilson Miles Cary, who was a member of the Convention of Virginia in 1776. Some writers have confounded him with his father. Bishop Meade in his _Old Churches and Families of Virginia_, accepts traditions which other writers claim are authenticated by documents, preserved by the Ambler family, and accordingly his account credits the story that Washington, in his youth, was an ardent admirer of Miss Mary Cary, and solicited leave of Col. Cary to address his daughter, but was refused. (See _Meade_, vol. i, 108.) This draft of the letter addressed to "Dear Friend Robin," was probably made in the spring of 1748, when Washington was in his seventeenth year. In it, he playfully avows an admiration for the "lowland beauty" and, at the same time, admits the agreeableness of the "young lady in the house" with him at "Belvoir." Mr. Edward Ambler, educated at Cambridge, England, was collector for York river and a burgess for Jamestown. He died in 1768 in his thirty-fifth year and was buried at Jamestown; his widow survived him until 1781. Mrs. Ambler with her children and her sister, Mrs.