after hearing this unnatural message, was entirely deprived of reason, and wanted us to kill her, but we could not find it, in our hearts to do it, though it would have been a charity to have put her out of her misery... So we took her back to the first inn we could find, and got a doctor for her; but he said nothing at all could be done for her, and, unlike most of the English doctors, said he would not pick our pockets, by sending her medicine, for it was impossible she could live many days. We thought maester wouldn't be angry if we stayed with her and saw her decently buried. I declare it made my poor heart CHAP. XIV. "Parent of Virtue! if thine ear, Indulge my votive strain, O sweet Humanity." After an oppressively hot day the inviting coolness of the evening tempted the ladies to take a ramble as far as an adjoining village. They insensibly extended their walk farther than they intended, when on a sudden they observed the sky become very dark, the heavy clouds entirely ob scured the beauty of the sun which was just setting, and the whole face of the atmosphere announced the approach of a thunderstorm. They accordingly hastened to the nearest shelter and entered a poor cottage, they were greatly shocked at the miserable scene which presented itself; in one corner of the room on a wretched bed lay the emaciated corpse of a man,' whom the poor woman (who was in a state of the greatest distress) said was her husband," he died last night ladies, having been out of work for thirteen weeks, we were reduced to the severest poverty, my poor children every day, crying for bread, did but add to our mi-t sery, our cruel hard-hearted landlord threatened to seize for our rent, which though we deprived ourselves of every The family she was with refused to keep her any longer; in consequence of this and many other calamities my poor dear husband fell ill, and as we could neither afford to pay for me dicine nor procure that nourishment which is necessary for sick people, he soon fell a victim to poverty and has left me and four children with not one farthing to support us. Last night just as he had breathed his last, and we were all on our knees at his bedside, in came our landlord and though he witnessed so melancholy a scene, which would have moved a heart of stone, he still remained inflexible, and said he would to-morrow morning send for the small remains of our furniture, even the bed on which my dear Belson's corpse lays." Mrs. Belson was here obliged to stop to give vent to her feelings. |