L. Sterne.
[Postscript.]
Nov: 1st. All my dearest Eliza has turned out more favourable than my hopes—Mrs. S.—& my dear Girl have been 2 Months with me and they have this day left me to go to spend the Winter at York, after having settled every thing to their hearts content—Mrs. Sterne retires into france, whence she purposes not to stir, till her death.—& never, has she vow’d, will give me another sorrowful or discontented hour—I have conquerd her, as I wd. every one else, by humanity & Generosity—& she leaves me, more than half in Love wth. me—She goes into the South of france, her health being insupportable in England—& her age, as she now confesses ten Years more, than I thought being on the edge of sixty—so God bless—& make the remainder of her Life happy—in order to wch. I am to remit her three hundred guineas a year—& give my dear Girl two thousand pds.—wth. wch. allJoy, I agree to,—but ’tis to be sunk into an annuity in the french Loans—
—And now Eliza! Let me talk to thee—But What can I say, What can I write—But the Yearnings of heart wasted with looking & wishing for thy Return—Return—Return! my dear Eliza! May heaven smooth the Way for thee to send thee safely to us, & joy for Ever.