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you speak without fear; I may affift, but will not injure you.'

The boy, thus affured, affumed more courage" God bless you, Sir," faid he, "I will tell you the whole truth, for

though we did run away we be honest.. -My father was a weaver, and lived "within a mile of Warwick, and made "fhift to maintain us very decently till the

war broke out, when bufinefs got fo "flack that we began to grow very poor, "and instead of boiling the great pot twice "a-week, we fometimes could not afford "to put it on for a whole month; how

ever, my father ftruggled all he could, "and my mother fpun, and used to tell "him to keep up his fpirits, for when

. things were at the worst they must mend. "But all would not do; my father, "from a fat likely man, grew quite thin "and yellow with fretting; and at last got "fuch a bad cough, that people faid he "was in a galloping confumption. In this "distress our landlord feized for half a "year's rent, which my father could by no

" means

means raise; fo, Sir, our goods were «fold, and we were all forced to go to the

parish. I am fure I fhall never forget "that day as long as I live: my father "had then got fo weak that he could not "walk without help, fo my mother took

one arm and I the other, while my fister "held by her apron crying; our old dog "Shock, that my father had from a puppy, "following after us. When we came to "the workhouse they took us all in but "Shock, who was fhut on the outfide; "where he ftood whining fo as to have "made any body's heart ach, but a parish"officer.

My poor father died in four days, praying for us with his last breath; and "was buried the next morning but one "by the parish. My mother had been ill "ever fince the fecond day after she came "into the workhoufe, though fhe tried to "hide it; but he got fo bad after his "death, that he could not go to the bury❝ing, and Patty and I went alone, crying"fo bitterly that we never faw

poor

Shock

" follow-

following us; for he had lain about the "workhouse ever fince we went in. Oh, "Sir, I thought my heart would have burst "when they let my father's coffin down "into the grave; Patty fcreamed and called

on her daddy, the dog howled, the fex06 ton fcolded; till at laft the men that had "carried the coffin kicked the dog, and "drove us both back to the workhouse.

"When we returned the doctor had been "to fee the poor folks, and faid bow my "mother had got a fever; fo, Sir, fhe got "worfe and worse, for three or four

days, and then fhe faid fhe fhould die, "and talked a great deal to Patty and me, "whenever he was a moment free from

being light-headed; and fhe gave me my father's flagelet to keep for his fake, "for it happened by chance to be in his pocket; then bid me to be honeft and

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--

fober, or the should not rest in her

grave; to learn to labour, and to love

my fifter, and God would blefs us: for

"he loved the poor, and was the father of "orphans.---Don't cry, Patty"--faid he,

interrupting his story to comfort his fifter ---“ don't cry; it's rude before gentry," ---the big tears falling from his own eyes on his tattered waistcoat, and, for a moment, choaked his utterance.---" I beg par"don, Sir," refumed he, "but fifter al

ways will cry when we talk about mother. "So, Sir, fhe told Patty to be a good

girl, or fhe would never profper, but "die upon a dunghill.---God knows, I "could not help thinking when she said

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fo, that he ought to have been better "off; for I am fure fhe was good, and always faid her prayers night and morn "ing; then, while we had it, she never "fent beggars away with empty bellies... "But I remember she used to fay, the "fmaller the reward in this world, the

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greater in the next; and that God had a right to difpofe of his creatures as he thought beft.---She then, Sir, gave her "prayer-book to Patty, and bid her not forget her reading; and talked to us "till fhe was fo weak fhe could not talk "any longer.

"The

"The next day, juft before he died, fhe made us come close to her, and put

ting one of her poor cold arms round. ❝each of our necks, raised her eyes,---pray«ed,---fighed,---blessed us,---and---and so, "Sir fhe fpoke no more."---The boy's voice became inarticulate; the girl fobbed aloud, Charles began mechanically to stir the fire, and Mary to twift the corners of her handkerchief, while her tears flowed faft and fell upon her bofom.

Mr. Richardfon contemplated the whole party with fatisfaction.---" Ah !" faid he, mentally, as he looked on his children,

may it be in my power to cherish, and "bring to perfection, thofe dawnings of hu"mnity; may they never be stified by the "errors of a corrupt education, nor over"whelmed in the labyrinths of depravity

and folly they muft neceffarily meet in "their journey through life."--

After a fhort paufe, the boy wiped his eyes and continued :---" So, Sir, in one "week we loft both father and mother;

and the fecond day after her burial we

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