with the bad; and I would strive to encourage a healthy Hope, while sickly despair should be driven far from its precincts. Oh! Mrs. Vaughan, could you but see how many of those women's hearts still beat true to women's better instincts! Could you but know how at the name of "mother" their eyes glisten-and how at the touch of a little child I have more than once seen them show signs of deep emotion, you would feel with me, that in many instances only Hope is wanting to raise them from their degraded state.’ 'Hope and Charity,' said Helen, ‘and also Faith; for how few believe in either the sincerity or the continuance of reformation? Women have, I fear, harder hearts than men, and will never admit even the most repentant of Magdalens quite within the pale of their companionship.' 'No-they would keep her just outside, doling out charitable words which their deeds belied. God forgive them, for they that do such things have much to answer for.' The Doctor rose to take leave, but ere he went, Helen proffered a request that she might bring Mrs. Reilly to see her suffering friend. Is it by her own wish you ask this?' inquired the Doctor. 'No,' answered Helen, nor have I as yet even proposed the visit to her. But I cannot but think that the sight of poor Rhoda's altered face-of the room where she lies of many things in short which she might witness in the Hospital, may possibly produce some effect on the thoughtless creature, and, by God's blessing, cause her to pause in her career of vice. Pray, Doctor, let her come. 'You may ask her,' said he, significantly; and Helen, glad of the implied permission, ordered her carriage, and drove to B-k Street. 324 CHAPTER XV. 'He stood beside me, The embodied vision of the brightest dream, IT was about one o'clock in the afternoon, and the mistress of the house was still at breakfast, when Mrs. Vaughan arrived at Katie's door. The latter had recovered her spirits, which had been a little shaken by Rhoda's sudden illness, and now looked fresh and rosy as the bunch of summer flowers that lay beside her plate. And how is poor Rhoda?' she asked, when the greetings were over. 'I sent yesterday to inquire, and they told me the poor little thing was no better; and that hard-hearted fellow, Lorton, never to ask was she alive or dead! The ruffian !' Never mind that, Katie. It is of no consequence who remembers, or who forgets her now. She must die soon, poor child!' 6 Ah, the poor creature!' ejaculated Katie, wiping away a tear. 'Yes; and I want to know if you would like to see her before she goes.' Katie reflected. asked at length. Is she sensible?" she 'No, I fear not, for she has not seemed to recognize any one yet.' "Then, faith, I won't make myself miserable by looking at the poor girl. If I could be doing her any good now, I'd go at once, and be glad to.' 'I am sure you would. But, Katie, won't you come to oblige me? I do so wish you would. Only to see her, dear-only to know what leading this life may bring us to.' It cost Helen some mental pain to say the little pronoun that linked her with the unrepentant, but she knew that in assimilating herself to the girl she hoped to influence, lay her best chance of leading her to the abode of the raving and the desolate. 'And Katie,' she added, 'you would feel for Rhoda so deeply, could you see the horrors of that dismal place.' Is it horrors?' said the girl, leaning back in her chair and speaking with unwonted energy. 'I've had them myself—I've longed to die, but had not the courage to do away with myself; for when I came to the water, it rushed so quick, and looked so cold and black-colder and blacker than life itself— that I turned away, and went back to my garret agin.' Was that long ago?' asked Mrs. Vaughan, gently. 6 'Not so very long-let me see,' and she counted on her fingers. Just five years ago it is since I came to London. He (please not to ask me his name, for I couldn't say the words), he was dead then-shot by the Russians. But would you like to hear the story? |