August 5. 1755
Dear Miss Ingram
I vow it is a shame that I have not
wrote to you before, after I had given you the troub-
-ble to leave a direction for that purpose. but I assure
you I have not been unmindful of you, tho’ I have not
express’d that mind, & you have never been a day to-
-gether out of my thoughts, for whenever {^^{I am at leisure}} I choose {^^hope} to
regale them with as much vivacity as a Fairy through a
Key-hole. I want to know how you do? Where you are?
how you spend your time? Whether ever you think of
Olney? & whether you ever design to come here again?
whenever my Daughter & I are summing up the {^^small} number
of the agreeables that we have happen’d to meet with
in the circle of our knowledge your name is always
mention’d, & {^^those} Bab. crys & long to see the Girl that you
make such a fuss about, & immediately asks a thousand
questions of what you said & did when you was here, to
which I reply that you said & did every thing you
should so, & nothing that you should not do, & that
I never saw greater propriety of Behaviour in any

[f.23v]

person in my Life than I did in you, but as your
stay here was but a few days, the time was too
short to make any absolute judgment of the merit of
any person, therefore I desire you will come again
some time that I may see whether you really are
a Girl of that merit I took you for or not, & I do
assure you it I find my self mistaken, I will en-
-deavour to make you such {^^{as I’d have you}} for reason I see my faults
in you, I will send not send them all packing, & not
suffer my Dear Miss Ingram to keep such company.
Are your Mother & sisters & Brothers all well, &
how many have you? & what are their names? for
I like you so well that I want to know every thing
belonging to you, & desire my service & Best wishes
may be made acceptable to all that have the Good
fortune to call you Daughter sister niece or Cousin.
Our Friends in Bedfordshire are all very well, I
heard so lately for in a Letter from Milton as far
other news I know none that would be of consequence
to you, besides before I write any more you must write
to me that I may know a little better what belongs
to you. For at present all I have to say is like writing

[f.24]

about folks in another world, since every body here
& every body with you unknown to me
is unknown to you, indeed we live under the influ-
ence of the same sun moon & stars, but I fancy you
know the History of the man in the moon as well as I
do, & likewise what sort of weather we have had for
this month or six-weeks, & all other such like events
with which conversation & Letters are usually stuff’d, &
I don’t choose to take up either your time or my own
in word with what will be useless to either either
& therefore wi will not write any more till I receive
your commands what to write about a Letter from
you & then I hope I shall better know what to
write about, my Daughter desires her compliments
my sons are not at home or no doubt they wou’d
do the same. Adieu Farewell my Dear miss Ingram
& may you always be the Wise the Good the
prudent, the unaffected, the Humble, the Easy
Good natur’d agreeable Girl you are at present
thought to be by
your Affectionate &
most humble servant
Jane Johnson

[f.24v]

[change of hand]

To Miss Henrietta Ingram, then fourteen,
after her first Visit to Olney, with my
Uncle and Cousin Johnson, - She Three years
afterwards came to Wytham, and was there
when my Mother died. – this was the Origin
of the Friendship between our family and
the Ingram’s, which has continued ever
since, and been a source of great happiness,
to Barbara Johnson who desires this
Letter may be preserv’d

August 5. 1755
Dear Miss Ingram
I vow it is a shame that I have not
wrote to you before, after I had given you the troub-
-ble to leave a direction for that purpose. but I assure
you I have not been unmindful of you, though I have not
expressed that mind, & you have never been a day to-
-gether out of my thoughts, for whenever {^^{I am at leisure}} I choose {^^hope} to
regale them with as much vivacity as a Fairy through a
Key-hole. I want to know how you do? Where you are?
how you spend your time? Whether ever you think of
Olney? & whether you ever design to come here again?
whenever my Daughter & I are summing up the {^^small} number
of the agreeables that we have happened to meet with
in the circle of our knowledge your name is always
mentioned, & {^^those} Bab. cries & long to see the Girl that you
make such a fuss about, & immediately asks a thousand
questions of what you said & did when you was here, to
which I reply that you said & did every thing you
should so, & nothing that you should not do, & that
I never saw greater propriety of Behaviour in any

[f.23v]

person in my Life than I did in you, but as your
stay here was but a few days, the time was too
short to make any absolute judgment of the merit of
any person, therefore I desire you will come again
some time that I may see whether you really are
a Girl of that merit I took you for or not, & I do
assure you it I find my self mistaken, I will en-
-deavour to make you such {^^{as I’d have you}} for reason I see my faults
in you, I will send not send them all packing, & not
suffer my Dear Miss Ingram to keep such company.
Are your Mother & sisters & Brothers all well, &
how many have you? & what are their names? for
I like you so well that I want to know every thing
belonging to you, & desire my service & Best wishes
may be made acceptable to all that have the Good
fortune to call you Daughter sister niece or Cousin.
Our Friends in Bedfordshire are all very well, I
heard so lately for in a Letter from Milton as far
other news I know none that would be of consequence
to you, besides before I write any more you must write
to me that I may know a little better what belongs
to you. For at present all I have to say is like writing

[f.24]

about folks in another world, since every body here
& every body with you unknown to me
is unknown to you, indeed we live under the influ-
ence of the same sun moon & stars, but I fancy you
know the History of the man in the moon as well as I
do, & likewise what sort of weather we have had for
this month or six-weeks, & all other such like events
with which conversation & Letters are usually stuffed, &
I don’t choose to take up either your time or my own
in word with what will be useless to either either
& therefore wi will not write any more till I receive
your commands what to write about a Letter from
you & then I hope I shall better know what to
write about, my Daughter desires her compliments
my sons are not at home or no doubt they would
do the same. Adieu Farewell my Dear miss Ingram
& may you always be the Wise the Good the
prudent, the unaffected, the Humble, the Easy
Good natured agreeable Girl you are at present
thought to be by
your Affectionate &
most humble servant
Jane Johnson

[f.24v]

[change of hand]

To Miss Henrietta Ingram, then fourteen,
after her first Visit to Olney, with my
Uncle and Cousin Johnson, - She Three years
afterwards came to Wytham, and was there
when my Mother died. – this was the Origin
of the Friendship between our family and
the Ingram’s, which has continued ever
since, and been a source of great happiness,
to Barbara Johnson who desires this
Letter may be preserved