Norwich bulletin., 1922-06-17
Great Mems Love Letters
Richard Steele to Molly scurlock.

The domestic life of Sir Richard Steele was one of unusual happiness and rare devotion His first wife was the sister of a wealthy planter of Barbados. Her death followed their marriage in a very few months. While he had thought that he had been deeply In love with her, the experience of his second union proved to him that it had been merely a tender re- gard.
 When he met Molly scurlock. the daughter and sole heiress of Jonathan scurlock4 of the county of carmathen, 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 in writing her letters. notes and verses
 When Richard Steele became acquaint- ed with her, she was 29 years of age. We owe the knowledge of his devotion to Molly through the care with which she preserved every scrap of writing he di- rected to her, not only through their en- gagement but through the 12 years of their union.
 After their marriage Richard called her "Prue," and she contrived to fascfnate 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 convivial dim CT 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.
 It was in this studied fashion that Steele wrte to Molly during their court | ship:
 Madam: If my vigilance and ten thou sand wishes for your welfare and repose could have any force, you last night slept 1 in security and had every good angel in your attendance. To have my thoughts 1 ever fixed on you, to live in constant fear l of every accident to which human life is liable and to send up my hourly prayers to avert them from you; I say, Madam 1 thus to think and thus to suffer, is what | I 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 l that are ready to flow with tenderness l but: cannot give relief to my gushing 1 heart. that dictates what am now say 1 ing and yearns to tell you all it's achings 1 How art thou, oh. my soul, stolen iron l thyself! My books are blank paper, ant l my friends intruders. I have no hove O l quiet but from your pity. If you woul, l consider alright you would find an agree able change in disrnissing the attendanc of slave to receive the complaisance 0 a companion. I bear the former in hope
 of the latter condition.
 Your most devoted. most obedient ser
 want, R. s"
 Only a few days before their marriage
 Steele wrote as follows:
 Madam: It is the hardest thing in tn
 world to be in love, and yet attend bust
 ness. As for me. all that speak to m
 find me out, and must lock myself ul
 or other people win do 1t for me. A ger
 tiernan asked me this morning: 'Whs
 news from Holland?' and I answered She is exquisdte1y handsome Pr'the' allow me at least to kiss your hand befol the appointed day, that my ylrnind may , in some composure. Me thinks I coul write volume to you. but all the lar
 guage on earth would fail in saying ho much, and with what dislnt terested pa. r sion
 T am. ever yours
 ,l The Steele letters have been truly d. scribed as masterpieces of arclor and r, ] spect, or tender passion and honest fee 5 ing, of good sense and earnestness, :,
 well ss os playful sEAatnsss -