my undissembling Heart

There is one thing at which the 18th century will always soundly beat the 21st: the art of writing love letters. Last week in the archives I stumbled upon the Augustine Smith Papers, and seeing in the collection description that he wrote to Alice Page I felt that the letters might contain something of interest to those of us researching 18th century female education. What I found inside were some of the most eloquent letters of love that I've ever had the privilege to read. Here are some of the most beautiful bits:

"Hesitation, doubt, and anxiety have possessed my aching bosom ever since it was conscious of the interest you had established in my Heart. I am a man but little prone to flatter on any occasion, but to the Woman to whom I wish to devote my undissembling Heart I wou'd as soon offer a poison draught as one single sentence that was not marked by candour and sincerity. Connections commencing in fraud and dissimulation, I conceive, must end in hatred & contempt. -- I love you Miss Page!-- I have loved you from my first acquaintance with you. And had Fortune enabled me to offer you a competancy of Wealth my faithful Heart had long ago been opened to you (July 2nd, 1791)."

"You talked of gratitude, esteem, and friendship-- my dear Girl!... It is your whole Heart, your Mind, your Soul, your entire self that must make me happy... if you cannot love me in the same unrestrained manner that I do you, speak openly, candidly, & I will esteem you, but persecute you no further-- I have yet some resolution (1791)."

"Place implicit confidence in my undisguised Heart-- it has selected you from the World, & I feel it can never decieve you-- shall I repeat that I am yours most faithfully, Augustine Smith (1792)"

Alice Page and Augustine Smith were married in 1793; it was a 'mutual attachment'. John Page, Alice's father, wrote to Augustine Smith in response to his asking for her hand in marriage, "She is capable of judging for herself." And she chose him, poor as he was! Such a lovely love story. And I didn't even get to the letters where he talks about how one day he went down to their favorite spot by the river (near the windmill, where they read to each other) to wait for her arrival... sigh. These letters really made me positively giddy.

(The first courtship letter; held at Swem Special Collections at the College of William and Mary
Alice has told him he must only expect friendship, but it soon turns to love)

Today I finished working for Sarah as a research assistant-- no more long hours of microfilm, no more court records, no more poking through the archives. At least, not until I start my own dissertation. But this job has been really fantastic, and I've learned how to find and use primary sources that I might not have otherwise considering looking into, so I can truly say that this year has been spent building important research skills.