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too frequently happens that, when a ble of receiving impressions, I emfemale falls from her virtuous station ployed my leisure time in instructing in society, some encouraging failing her. She grew up as virtuous in on her own part has led to her ruin. mind as she was prepossessing in perIn this instance, however, no such son, and notwithstanding her ill-faextenuation can be urged in pallia- ted birth, she was beloved and cation of a crime so destructive in its ressed by every one who knew her. consequences. Poor Margaret Wil It is not with us, Mr. Arundel, as it liams was a steady good girl, fond is with our more polished neighbours; indeedloffinery-and whatgirl is not? we do not, in this secluded vale, atbut without any levity or giddiness tach any disgrace to the offspring of about her. Her behaviour was al shame, nor do we envy the lot of ways characterized by a modest civi- those whom Providence has ordainlity, which rendered her a welcome ed to be more fortunate than ourvisitor at every bouse in the neigh- selves. We are strangers to many bourhood. But this availed her no- l of the evils, as well as to many of thing; she fell into the hands of an | the advantages, of a more highly culunfeeling, pitilėss scoundrel, and was tivated and refined condition. Well, ruined. But Margaret had a mo- my good sir," continued my worthy ther, who, notwithstanding her hum- friend, " things were in this situablė rank in life, cherished sentiments tion, when our only son returned afthat would have adorned a princess. ter an absence of eight years in the This mother, the same aged woman East Indies. He had prevailed upwho followed the corpse to day, and on us, while yet a boy, to permit him wept so bitterly at the grave, did not to try his fortune there; and at sespurn from her the child of her bo- venteen he left us as a cadet. We som, but opened wide her doors, and heard from him from time to time, extended to her miserable child that and the newspapers conveyed to us solace and comfort which her inhu- | the gratifying intelligence, that he man seducer denied. But poor Mar I had frequently distinguished bimself, garet could not long survive her dis- and had been promoted to the rank honour; she pined away in sorrow, of a captain in the Company's serand two years after the birth of her vice. Poor Edward was a generous, child, she sunk into the grave, while open-hearted fellow, full of life and she was yet in the bloom of youth. spirits and filial affection; and the The care of the little Mary now de- | day of his arrival amongst us was volved upon her grandmother, who || indeed a day of happiness and rehad been an old and valued servant joicing!". in my father's family; and my poor My friend's voice grew tremulous wife was consequently exceedingly with grief as this event recurred to attentive to them, for she had a ten his memory, and hiding his face in der heart, and always loved to please his handkerchief, he gave vent to his me. Thus the little Mary and her feelings in a flow of salutary tears. old nurse were often with us at the Having somewhat recovered his comrectory. Our little favourite soon posure, he resumed his narrative. gave tokens of uncommon intelli- “ When Edward left us, Mary gence, and when her mind was capa- was a mere child; and it was as a mere child only that he thought of and if they continue to love each her in his absence. Every letter other, we must not oppose their af. contained a remembrance to his fections.' • pretty little Mary;' and when a " But all our plans and all our rebeautiful and blushing girl of eigh-solutions were useless. Our dear teen was presented to him as his boy had brought with him a constiformer little playniate, he started with tution shattered by the enervating astonishment and admiration at the influence of a tropical climate, as change. The result is easily guessed; | well as by the overpowering toil of a they soon loved, passionately but soldier's life, and in three months purely loved each other: yet, strange after his return he was laid upon the to say, I was for a long time blind to bed of sickness and of death. It their attachment; that is, I attributed was now that Mary proved herself all his little attentions to Mary to worthy of all our care. She ministheir long intimacy, and to his wish tered to the poor patient with unto please his parents; in short, I con- ceasing assiduity, and consoled us sidered his affection was nothing with hopes which she herself could more than that of a brother for a never have cherished: You do not sister. The mother, however-and know perhaps what it is to attend what mother is not?— was keener- | day after day near the sick-bed of a sighted than the father, and she com- most near relation, to watch with municated her suspicions to me. I agony and suspense the variable am sure our dear boy is in love with symptoms of a languishing disease, Mary,' she said. “Every action de- and to hear the fond and wishful annotes it. Is she walking to the town? ticipations of the object of all this Edward must go with her. Is she care and solicitude. You do not going with any thing to the poor cot know perhaps what it is to hang betagers ? he must go with her there side a child's couch in tenderness also. In short, they sing together, and anxiety, to sooth his pain and ride together, dance together, read sorrow, even while your own heart together, and walk together, and I is bursting with affliction, and to feel am quite sure they love each other that all your hopes of happiness on dearly! Now that I had been thus earth are fixed on him; to catch his apprised of this, it appeared as e- last faint sigh, and watch in bitter afvident to me as it did to Mrs. fection life's fluttering, dying spark. Owen; and it made me thoughtful. I have felt all this; and during this I am not a proud man, Mr. Arundel, || period of suspense and agony, Mary God forbid that I ever should be;' was indeed a ministering angel to us; nor was my poor wife a vain or and though harassed both in mind a haughty woman: but this discovery and body, no exclamation of pain startled me, and parental solicitude or impatience escaped her lips. She for our only and most dear child | endured what I supposed no mortal made us hesitate. However, after a could have endured under similar little consideration, we came to the circumstances; and although I disdetermination of suffering their at- i covered that she wept much in setachment to take its own course. I cret, she suffered no indication of She will make a good wife,' said I, ll sorrow or despair to appear before

us or her lover. Week after week exceeding kindness has emboldened passed in this miserable manner ; il me to make this request, and I shall and, after languishing nearly four | be more happy now that I have spokmonths, our dear child breathed his en to you about her. And will you," last, without sob or sigh, in the arms she continued, taking from her boof his distressed mother. This was som, as she spoke, a locket set in a sad affliction for us; but a sadder diamonds, the gift of her lover, a was in reserve for me. My poor wife, lock of whose glossy hair it containwhose health had always been deli- ed, wreathed with one of her own cate, could not sustain the shock she sunny ringlets, will you, my more had received by the death of her on-than father, keep this carefully for ly and beloved child; and she fol- the sake of those whom you have lowed him to the grave in little less loved so affectionately?' I took the · than half a year, leaving me to drag locket, and promised, as well as I on my existence in solitude and sor- could, to observe all that she rerow. But even yet the measure of quired of me; when, after remaining my grief was not full. I have said, silent for a few minutes, she requestthat Mary was unremitting in her at ed me to deliver to several of her tentions to Edward during his ill- | young friends such tokens as she ness. This, independently of any named, in memory of her friendship attachment between them, was suffi- for them. She then gave me a few cient to induce very severe illness ; || directions respecting her own funebut her heart received a severe shock,ral, expressing a particular desire to and one which it never recovered. be buried very near poor Edward, Yet she did not complain, although it and earnestly requesting me to perwas evident that some secret grief form the service over her. After was undermining her health with in- | this, she again thanked me most sidious but certain fatality. | warmly for all my kindness, and then, “* And never word, or murinur of regret, seemingly exhausted with her exers Linger'd upon her gentle lip. The spirit tion, endeavoured to compose herself Was weaned from this world, and look'd on

to sleep. I quitted the apartment, high In humble faith. The grave no terrors had therefore, and retired to my study, For one to whom existence had no charms.' leaving her to the charge of the

“ I had been reading to her one nurse and the poor grandmother, evening, and had paused to make who, although too aged and infirmi some observation, when she faintly to be of service, seldom left the pasaid to me,' My dear father'--she tient's chamber. . had always called me so- I have " In about two hours I was hastily been thinking that I shall soon follow summoned into Mary's room, and poor Edward: but I have a favour found that the icy hand of death was to beg of you before I die, which I already upon her. There was, hora am sure you will grant me. Whenever, a placid smile upon her counI am gone my poor grandmother will |tenance, and she seemed perfectly have nobody to wait upon her, and conscious of, and by no means alarmto attend to her little wants and ed at, her approaching dissolution. wishes. Will you see that she does She extended her hand to me as I not stand in need of any thing? Your | approached the bed--for the power

of speech was already taken from | remains; and now that I am left alone her-and grasping mine affection in the world, I must endeavour to ately, looked up towards heaven, and render my life useful to others, as moved her lips in silent prayer. I well as acceptable to Him who gave had knelt down instinctively, and it.” knew not, till the hand which grasp Such were the pious sentiments ed mine grew chill and clammy, that which these sad events inspired in the spirit had departed from the the bosom of my revered friend; and lovely form before. It was an awful he acted up to them to his death, inoment, my friend, and I then ex- which happened only two or three perienced such a feeling of sadness years ago. I remained at the recand desolation, that, in my affliction, tory more than a week, and when I I repined at the lot which Provi- left it, I had the pleasure of perceiv. dence in its wisdom had assigned ing, that the strong and naturally me. But now that I am grown more | placid mind of my friend had succalm, and the intensity of my sorrow cessfully combated the evils which has somewhat subsided, I look upon hovered around him. But I did not all this as a chastening to be patient- quit the village without visiting poor ly endured ; and I bow me to the will Margaret. I found her in a neat and of the Father, if not with cheerful comfortable cottage, bowed down inness, at least with resignation, con- deed with age and sorrow, and look. scious that He would not afflict me ing forward to the silent grave for thus without some especial reason. that peace " which the world can He has given me strength to perform neither give nor take away." the last sad rites to my poor Mary's

LETTER From Sidy MAHMOUD, the Tunisian Envoy al Paris, co his Friend Hassan al Tunis.

What dost thou require of me, , tions but their own are barbarians. dear Hassan?- an account of these Yes, in displaying to the stranger infidels? It would be impossible to their magnificent palaces, the treagive it to thee. Can one paint beings || sures of painting and sculpture which who are never for twenty-four hours their capital possesses, in inviting in the same mind? Fantastic as apes, him to partake of their luxuries, they changeable as cameleons, there is convince him by their tone and their only one thing in which you are sure | manner, that they are notonly the first to find them always the same, and people in the world, but the only that is vanity. .

people who, to use their own expres· They call themselves the most po- || sion, know how to live. lished people under heaven; but what | Thou wilt readily believe, dear wilt thou think of their politeness || Hassan, that I supported the Muswhen I tell thee, that their first care sulman dignity; the more they endeais to convince a stranger that they | voured to delight and dazzle nie, look upon him as a barbarian? for the colder and more unmoved my they shew by their actions, if not by manner became. Thou canst not their words, that in their eyes all na. " have an idea how much my grave indifference disconcerted them, nor session are very frequently the wives by what a variety of little artful tricks of others. they tried to conquer it. Even thou, Thou knowest that the sex have my grave Hassan, wouldst be almost here the liberty of shewing themselves tempted to smile could I paint to thee in public; but thou canst not conthe mortification visible in their looks, ceive to what an excess they abuse when, thinking to take me by sur- this privilege. Not only are the prise, they saw that I exhibited no streets, the public gardens, and all symptoms of pleasure or admiration. | the places of amusement thronged

And their women! I am no longer | with them, but they are to be seen surprised that their prophet allowed in the courts of law, and in the very them only one wife. Mahomet shield senate itself. Nay, wouldst thou creme from having even one of them ditit? hardly bad the customary forms in my harem! Wouldst thou be- of my reception by the Effendi been lieve it? they have reversed the order gone through, when they admitted of nature, and made slaves of the into the hall of audience a great nummen! And what is still more strange, ber of women magnificently dressed; these last exult in the degradation, their heads, covered with flowers, and talk of it as an honour. It is formed as they walked a moving gartrue that, according to the laws, it is den: but the head seemed to be the onthe men who transact all the public ly part completely at liberty, for their business; but they are merely the bodies were inclosed in machines instruments of their wives, or rather, made for the express purpose of comI should say, of their women; for pressing them to the greatest possible either by an unaccountable singula- | degree without absolute danger to life. rity in the taste of these infidels, or This unnatural confinement is very by an effect of their natural fickle- injurious to the grace and freedom ness, no sooner do they obtain pos- of their motions; they are besides session of the only wife their law al- too meagre in general to please an lows them, than she becomes an ob eye accustomed to the luxuriance of ject of indifference, and they attach Oriental loveliness. Nevertheless, themselves to other women, in whom I observed among them some few they sometimes place all their confi- | who were beautiful: they regarded dence, and lavish besides as much me with an eager curiosity, and seemmoney upon them as would enable a ed ambitious of attracting my notice. true believer to stock his harem with If my eyes rested for a moment upon the most beautiful slaves. Those one of them, she displayed in her who are rich change these women, | looks the most lively joy, and glanced whom they call their mistresses, very at her companions with an air of frequently. Thou seest then how triumph. Thou wilt suppose I was great is their injustice for reproach Alattered at this: thou art mistaken, ing us with what they themselves dear Hassan; their confident and practise, but in a manner as contrary scrutinizing looks embarrassed and to morality as it is to the precepts of displeased me; and these haughty their religion; for the women of whom beauties, who, in the insolence of they thus obtain a temporary pos- their imaginary equality with our sex,

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