The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-09-06
- HOWDNOU'WRlTE@
Wa LOVE'LETTER ?As@ll
HOW RICHARD STEELE WROTE TO MOLLY sCURLoCk

The domestic life of Sir Richard Steele
was one of unusual happiness and rare
devotion. Recklessness, wit, vivaeity and
good humor distinguished this popular es-
sayist through life. Through his asso-
Citations with Addison, the .Tattler" and
the Spectator" his friendship with Dean
Swift, and his dramatic works, we are
thoroughly familiar with his public life.
But 1t is well worth while 10 note how
large share his home life had in bend.
ing and directing all his efforts.
The first wife of Richard Steele was the
sister of wealthy planter of Barbados.
Her death followed their marriage in a
very few months. While he had thought
he had been deeply in love with her, the
experience of his second union proved to
him that 1t had been merely a tender re-
gard.
When he met Molly Scurlock, the
daughter and sole heiress of Jonathan
Scurlock. of tine County of Carmarthen,
he would only wait one month for the
wedding, and during the last few days OF
even this short period, he occupied his
entire time in thinking of her and writ
ing her letters notes and verses.
When Steele became acquainted with
her, she was 20 years of age. We owe the
knowledge of his devotion to Molly
through the care with which she pre-
served every scrap of writing he directed
to her, not only through their engage
ment, but throughout the IL years of their
union.
After their marriage Richard called her
"Prue," and she contrived to fascinate
him with her grace, her pretty caprices
and the demand of his affection and at
tentions. He wrote her notes every day
of what he was doing, and whom he was
meeting, and often at a eonvivial dinner
he would leave the table a moment, and
send her a note by messenger, merely
to tell her he was thinking of her, and
was hers. ever and ever.
1t was in this studied fashion that
Steele wrote to Molly during their court
ship
Madam: If my vigilance and 1o,d00
wishes for your welfare and repose could
have any force, you last night slept in Sc
curity and had every good angel in your
attendance 10 have my thoughts ever
fixed on you, to live in constant fear of
every accident to which human life is
liable. and to send up my hourly prayers
to avert them from you, / say, Madam
thus to think, and thus to suffer, is what
do. for her who is in pain at my ap-
proach. and calls all my tender sorrow
impertinence.
you are now before my eyes. my eyes
that are ready to flow with tenderness,
but cannot give relief to my gushing
heart. that dictates what I am now say
ing and yearns to tell you all its ach-
ings. How art thou, oh my soul, stolen
from thyself. How is all my attention
brokeni My books are blank paper, and
my friends intruders. l have no hope Of
quiet but from your pity. If you would
consider Alright. you would find agree
able change in dsmissing the attendance
Of slave to receive the complaisance
of companion. | bear the former in
hopes of the latter condition.
"Your most devoted, most obedient
servant
Only few days before their marriage
Steele wrote as follows:
Madame: 1t is the hardest thing in
the world to be In love, and yet attend
business. AS for me, all that speak to
me find me out, and I must lock myself
up. or other people will do 1t for me. A
gentleman asked me this morning: What
news from Holland?' and I answered :
She Is exqusitely handsome Prythee
allow me at least to kiss your hand be-
fore the appointed day, that my mind
may be in some composure. Methinks