Miss Sophia Williams

My dearest Jack,

How I miss you!  But at present, I write on business that is rather urgent.  I wish to inquire after my friend, the young Miss Caroline, in case you have heard any news of her.  She has been many days absent, having left with scarcely any warning, and with my mind so unoccupied, I have all the hours of the day to sit and wonder about her, the worry growing with each passing moment, for I am doubtful but that she has fallen into the company of a certain gentleman of ill repute!  Do you know a Mr. Pumphrey?  I have often heard her speak of him, and recently, so tells me my friend Miss White, they were seen together in an unworthy establishment.  My friend may have been mistaken, of course, but I am so fearful of Miss Caroline's character, her "reputation, reputation, reputation!"   Oh Jack, If she should lose her reputation...!  If that Mr. Pumphrey uses her badly, why, I shall - well, I confess I do not know what I shall do, but to be certain it will be something unbecoming of a lady.  To be sure, she has a father, but I do not think her father is sensible of the care that must be taken of a young girl's reputation!  And how can I possibly acquaint him with the dangers, I myself a young lady of similar delicate position?  It should properly be the duty of a matronly figure, a mother or an aunt, a chaperone, but alas, Miss Caroline's mother is away, and I do fear that the girl will be led astray, and perhaps her sisters too.  She has an elder sister, as you may know, upon whom her parents dote, and I do fear lest they should cast all their attention upon the eldest sister at the expense and neglect of the younger! 

Though to be sure, Miss Caroline is a thoroughly sensible girl.  I should have no fear on her account, I will confess, if it were not for the whispers of this Mr. Pumphrey, and for her unwonted lack of correspondence.  And for my own sake, I must own that I miss her good company, for she is as sweet a creature as ever lived, with a ready wit and bright mind.  Do you know - this will please you, Jack - that she has acquired a sextant and is undertaking a study of celestial navigation?  I cannot scarcely understand it, I must confess, but I am sure you would find her conversation on the subject most intelligent and charming.

Please forgive the wild nature of this letter, dearest Jack, and send any intelligence of Miss Caroline that you may discover.  Perhaps she may be on a ship with this Mr. Pumphrey, sailing to the continent, or India, or even America, for she professes to be a great admirer of ships!  Let us pray it is not so, but that she will soon be restored to us, safe in body and soul with reputation untarnished.

Give my love to Stephen, and I send my very best love to you.

Yours ever,
Sophie

My dear Stephen! 

My mother found your new book in the parlour where you left it!  She was just opening the book when I walked into the room, and I was obliged to upset the tea tray and tip out a bowl of flowers onto the floor.  While Mama was fussing about the spill, I stole away with the book on the pretence of changing my dress.  I don't know what she would have said if she had seen the illustrations, my dear.

I shall find a place to hide it away, but please, do take it away as soon as you ever can.  You must not leave such things lying about, particularly where ladies may see them.

Yours,
Sophie

PS  It is Bell's Great Operations of Surgery to which I refer.  I know you had asked White to remove the sausage stains, and she has done the best she could with what was available in the kitchen.

I've had trouble sleeping recently because of my unhappy state of mind.  Stephen, my dear fakeweematurin, has been most kind doctor and friend to me these past several days, and the laudanum he's given has done me a world of good, I'm sure.  Such prodigious sleep I've had!

But last night, I had such a distressing dream.  I dreamt about Jack!  My dear fakeweeaubrey learned about this beneficial laudanum, but he was so wholly disapproving, and looked on me with such a cold expression of disdain that it quite broke my heart!!!  Though, to speak truthfully, it was my scribe dreaming about his scribe, which is much the same thing.  I believe he even wrote me a letter to express his disapproval, which amounted to utter repugnance.  It caused me to regret having ever ventured thus far into his LiveJournal world.

But I must have sleep.  My distress breeds more distress, and sleep is oftentimes the only haven of peace.  But now it seems that Jack's disapproval meets me there.

If only I could be as light and merry as Cissy, with her daydreams and novels.  At times she's a very silly girl, but I envy her lighthearted happiness, unburdened with thoughts or cares.

Stephen, dear, here is the little bottle you gave me yesterday.  I drank it as you suggested, all of it, before going to sleep last night.  And such a sleep I had!  I feel much refreshed for it.

Thank you for not telling Jack about my foolish behaviour yesterday.  The surprise of seeing him sailing away was just such a disappointment and shock to me, combined with everything else, particularly as I was so looking forward to seeing him at tea!  I should have known, of course, that he wouldn't sail without you.

With my mind in this curious state, my sister Cecilia has offered some of her novels to distract my thoughts.  I find them most curious.  I had no idea that this was what she was reading!  I must confess, they are quite entertaining, but not in the manner that the lady novelists intended.