of his houfe. I have found a fellow-creature, faid my conductress, whofe pity will redeem us from the clutches of one, who has none; be comforted, my dear mother, for this gentleman has fome Chriftian charity in his heart. I don't know what charity may be in his heart, cried the fellow, but he has fo little of the Chriftian in his countenance, that I'll bet ten to one he is a Jew. Be that as it may, faid I, a Jew may have feeling, and therefore fay what these poor women are indebted to you, and I will pay down the money, if my pocket can reach it; if not, I believe my name, though it be a Jew's name, will be good for the fum, let it be what it will. May God reward you, cried the mother, our debt is not great, though it is more than we have prefent means to pay; we owe but fix and twenty fhillings to our hardened creditor; I believe I am right, Conftantia, (turning to her daughter) but you know what it is correctly. That is the amount of it, replied the lovely Conftantia, for fuch fhe now appeared to me, as fhe was in the act of fupporting her mother on the bolfter with her arm under her neck. Take your money, man, quoth I, receive what is your own, and let thefe helpless creatures lodge in peace one night beneath your roof; to-morrow I will remove them, if this infirm woman fhall

be

be able to endure it. I hope my house is my own, answered the favage, and I don't defire to be troubled with them one night longer, no, nor even one hour.

Is this poffible? exclaimed Ned; are there fuch diftreffes in the world? what then have I been doing all this while? Having so said, he fprung nimbly out of his eafy chair, took a hafty ftride or two across the room, rubbing his forehead as he walked, threw himself into an empty chair, which stood next to that, in which Mr. Abrahams was fitting, and begged him once more to proceed with his narrative.

With the help of my apothecary, who lived in the very houfe, at the door of which I had converfed with Conftantia, I removed the invalid and her daughter that very evening in a hackney coach to my own houfe, which was not far diftant; and by the fame medical affistance and iny wife's care, who is an excellent nurse, I had the fatisfaction to fee the poor woman regain her health and strength very speedily, for in fact her weakness had been more the effect of mifery and want of diet, than any real disease: As for Conftantia, her looks kept pace with her mother's recovery, and I must fay without flattery fhe is altogether the finest creature I ever looked upon.

The

The mother of Conftantia is still a very comely woman and not above forty years old; fhe has a father living, who is a man of great opulence, but he has conceived fuch irreconcileable difpleasure at her marrying, that he has never fince that event taken the leaft notice either of her or of his grandchild. Then he is an unnatural monfter, cried Ned, and will be fent to the devil for his barbarity.

Mr. Abrahams proceeded as follows; the is the widow of a Captain Goodison, of whose unhappy ftory I have at different times collected only a few particulars, but from these I can understand that he went with him to America, and took her daughter with her; that he had a company of foot, and little elfe to maintain himself and family upon but his pay; that he ferved there in most of the campaigns with the reputation of a gallant officer, but that the fpirit of gaming having been suffered to infect the English army in their winter quarters at New-York, this wretched man, the father and the husband of these helpless women, became a prey to that infernal paffion, and being driven to fell his commiffion to pay his loffes at play, put an end to his miserable existence by a bullet.

Here Abrahams paufed, whilft Ned gave vent to a groan, in which I can answer for his being VOL. IV. feconded

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feconded by one more heart at least then in company, from which the recollection of that fatal period never fails to extort a pang.

The series of fufferings, which the unhappy widow and her child endured, (continued Abrahams) from this tragical period, were fuch as I must leave you to imagine, for I neither wished to be informed of them, nor could the expatiate upon them. It may however be proper to inform Mr. Drowfy, that I am convinced there is no room for hope, that any future impreffion can be made upon the unforgiving nature of Conftantia's grandfather, and it would be unjust in me to represent her as any other than what fhe is, deftitute of fortune even in expectancy. And what is fhe the worfe for that? cried Ned; amongst the articles I ftipulate for in the advertifement, which Mr. Sparkle has been reading, I believe you will not find that money is put down for one. Upon this Mr. Abrahams made a proper compliment to my friend, and addreffing himself to the company began to apologize for having taken up fo much of our attention by his long discourse; this naturally produced a return of acknowledgments on our parts, with many and juft commendations of his benevolence. The honeft man's features brightened with joy upon receiving this welcome teftimony, which

which he fo well deferved, and I remarked with pleasure that our reverend friend, the curate, now began to regard Abrahams with an eye of complacency, and having fet himself in order, like one who was about to harangue his audience with a prepared oration, he turned a gracious countenance upon the humble adversary of his faith, and delivered himself as follows

Charity, Mr. Abrahams, is by our church efteemed the firft of Chriftian virtues, and as we are commanded to pray even for our enemies, in obedience to that bleffed mandate I devoutly inftance it your pray that in avail to cover may and blot out the multitude of fins.

Your reach

ing forth the hand of mercy to these poor Chriftians in their pitiable diftrefs proves you to be a man fuperior to those shameful prejudices, which make a falfe plea of religion for fhutting up the heart against all, but those of it's own faith and perfuafion. I have liftened to your narrative with attention, and it is but justice to you to confefs, that your forbearing to retort the fcurrilous fellow in the lodging-house, who infulted you on the fcore of your national phyfiognomy, is a circumstance very highly to your credit, and what would have done honor to any one of the profeffors of that religion, which teaches us, when we are reviled, to revile not

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