Accordingly, in her letters, Julia did not avoid the
name of Antonio. She mentioned it often, but with
womanly delicacy, if not with discretion. The seeds
of constant association had, unknown to herself,
taken deep root, and it was not in the power of
Anna Miller to eradicate impressions which had
been fastened by the example of the aunt, and
cherished by the society of her cousin. Although
deluded, weak, and even indiscreet, Julia was not
indelicate. Yet enough escaped her to have given
any experienced eye an insight into the condition of
her mind, had Anna chosen to have exposed her
letters to any one. The danger of such a
correspondence should alone deter any prudent
female from its indulgence. Society has branded the
man with scorn who dares abuse the confidence of
a woman in this manner; and the dread of the
indignation of his associates makes it an offence
which is rarely committed by the other sex: but
there is no such obligation imposed on women, and
that frequently passes for a joke which harrows
every feeling that is dear to the female breast, and
violates all that is delicate and sensitive in our
nature. Surely, where it is necessary from any
adventitious circumstances to lay the heart open in
this manner, it should only be done to those whose
characters are connected with our own, and who
feel ridicule inflicted on us, as disgrace heaped on
themselves. A peculiar evil of these confidential
friendships is, that they are most liable to occur,
when, from their youth, their victims are the least
guarded; and, at the same time, from inconstancy,
the most liable to change.
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