From my own Apartment,December 7.
My brother Tranquillus being gone out of town for some days,my sister Jenny sent me word she would come and dine with me,and therefore desired me to have no other company.I took care accordingly,and was not a little pleased to see her enter the room with a decent and matron-like behaviour,which I thought very much became her.I saw she had a great deal to say to me,and easily discovered in her eyes,and the air of her countenance,that she had abundance of satisfaction in her heart,which she longed to communicate.However,I was resolved to let her break into her discourse her own way,and reduced her to a thousand little devices and intimations to bring me to the mention of her husband.But,finding I was resolved not to name him,she began of her own accord.
"My husband,"said she,"gives his humble service to you;"to which I only answered,"I hope he is well;"and,without waiting for a reply,fell into other subjects.She at last was out of all patience,and said,with a smile and manner that I thought had more beauty and spirit than I had ever observed before in her,"I did not think,brother,you had been so ill-natured.You have seen,ever since I came in,that I had a mind to talk of my husband,and you will not be so kind as to give me an occasion."--"I did not know,"said I,"but it might be a disagreeable subject to you.You do not take me for so old-fashioned a fellow as to think of entertaining a young lady with the discourse of her husband.I know nothing is more acceptable than to speak of one who is to be so;but to speak of one who is so!indeed,Jenny,I am a better bred man than you think me."She showed a little dislike at my raillery,and by her bridling up,I perceived she expected to be treated hereafter not as Jenny Distaff,but Mrs.Tranquillus.I was very well pleased with this change in her humour;and,upon talking with her on several subjects,I could not but fancy that I saw a great deal of her husband's way and manner in her remarks,her phrases,the tone of her voice,and the very air of her countenance.This gave me an unspeakable satisfaction,not only because I had found her a husband from whom she could learn many things that were laudable,but also because I looked upon her imitation of him as an infallible sign that she entirely loved him.This is an observation that I never knew fail,though I do not remember that any other has made it.The natural shyness of her sex hindered her from telling me the greatness of her own passion;but I easily collected it from the representation she gave me of his."I have everything,"says she,"in Tranquillus that I can wish for;and enjoy in him,what indeed you have told me were to be met with in a good husband,the fondness of a lover,the tenderness of a parent,and the intimacy of a friend."It transported me to see her eyes swimming in tears of affection when she spoke."And is there not,dear sister,"said I,"more pleasure in the possession of such a man than in all the little impertinences of balls,assemblies,and equipage,which it cost me so much pains to make you contemn?"She answered,smiling,"Tranquillus has made me a sincere convert in a few weeks,though Iam afraid you could not have done it in your whole life.To tell you truly,I have only one fear hanging upon me,which is apt to give me trouble in the midst of all my satisfactions:I am afraid,you must know,that I shall not always make the same amiable appearance in his eye that I do at present.You know,brother Bickerstaff,that you have the reputation of a conjurer;and if you have any one secret in your art to make your sister always beautiful,I should be happier than if I were mistress of all the worlds you have shown me in a starry night.""Jenny,"said I,"without having recourse to magic,I shall give you one plain rule that will not fail of making you always amiable to a man who has so great a passion for you,and is of so equal and reasonable a temper,as Tranquillus.Endeavour to please,and you must please;be always in the same disposition as you are when you ask for this secret,and you may take my word you will never want it.An inviolable fidelity,good-humour,and complacency of temper outlive all the charms of a fine face,and make the decays of it invisible."We discoursed very long upon this head,which was equally agreeable to us both;for I must confess,as I tenderly love her,I take as much pleasure in giving her instructions for her welfare as she herself does in receiving them.I proceeded,therefore,to inculcate these sentiments by relating a very particular passage that happened within my own knowledge.
