The History of Miss Betsy ThoughtlessHaywood, Eliza Fowler
General
The History of Miss Betsy Thoughtless
Haywood, Eliza Fowler
Abused wives -- Fiction; Bildungsromans; Didactic fiction; England -- Fiction; Married women -- Fiction
She was charmed and elated with the description Mr. Francis had told
her, she had inspired in the breast of his friend: she called to her
mind the idea of those persons who were present at the entertainments he
mentioned, and easily recalled which was most likely to be the lover,
though she remembered not the name; she very well now remembered there
was one that seemed both times to regard her with glances, which had
somewhat peculiar in them, and which then she had interpreted as the
certain indications of feeling something in his heart of the nature her
brother had described; but not seeing him afterwards, nor hearing any
mention made of him, at least that she took notice of, the imagination
went out of her head.
This account of him, however, brought to her memory every thing she had
observed concerning him, and was very well convinced she had seen
nothing, either in his person or deportment, that was not perfectly
agreeable; yet, not withstanding all this, and the high encomiums given
of him by a brother, who she knew would not deceive her, she was a
little vexed to find herself pressed by one so dear and so nearly
related to her, to think of him as a man she ever intended to marry: she
thought she could be pleased to have such a lover, but could not bring
herself to be content that he ever should be a husband. She had too
much good sense not to know it suited not with the condition of wife to
indulge herself in the gaieties she at present did; which though
innocent, and, as she thought, becoming enough in the present state she
now was, might not be altogether pleasing to one who, if he so thought
proper, had the power of restraining them. In fine, she looked upon a
serious behaviour as unsuitable to one of her years; and therefore
resolved not to enter into a condition which demanded some share of it,
at least for a long time; that is, when she should be grown weary of the
admiration, flatteries, and addresses of the men, and no longer find any
pleasure in seeing herself preferred before all the women of her
acquaintance.
Though it is certain that few young handsome ladies are without some
share of the vanity here described, yet it is to be hoped there are not
many who are possessed of it in that immoderate degree Miss Betsy was.
It is, however, for the sake of those who are so, that these pages are
wrote, to the end they may use their utmost endeavours to correct that
error, as they will find it so fatal to the happiness of one who had
scarce any other blameable propensity in her whole composition.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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