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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 aflistance and my wife's care, who is an excellent nurfe, I had the fatisfaction to fee the poor woman regain her health and ftrength very fpeedily, for in fact her weaknefs had been more the effect of mifery and want of diet, than any real difeafe as for Conftantia, her looks kept pace with her mother's recovery, and I muft fay without flattery, fhe is altogether the finest creature I ever looked up

on.

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

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Mr Abrahams proceeded as follows: She is the widow of a Captain Goodifon, of whofe unhappy ftory I have at different times collected only a few particulars, but from these I can understand that the went with him to America, and took her daughter with her; that he had a company of foot, and little elfe to maintain himfelf 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 fuffered to infect the English army in their winter quarters at New-York, this wretched man, the father and the hufband of these helplefs 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 miferable existence by a bullet.

Here Abrahams paufed, whilft Ned gave vent to a groan, in which I can anfwer for his being 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 feries 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 Diowfy, 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 unjuft in me to reprefent her as any other than what fhe is, deftitute of fortune even in expectancy. And what is the the worfe for that? cried Ned; amongst the articles I ftipulated for in the advertise ment, which Mr Sparkle has been reading, I believe you will not find that mo ney 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 atten tion by his long difcourfe; this naturally produced a return of acknowledgments on our parts, with many and juft commendations of his benevolence. The ho neft man's features brightened with joy upon receiving this welcome teftimony, 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 adverfary of his faith, and delivered himself as follows

Charity, Mr Abrahams, is by our church esteemed the firft of Chriftian virtues, and as we are commanded to pray even for our enemies, in obedience to that blessed mandate I devoutly pray that in your inftance it may avail to co ver and blot out the multitude of fins. Your reaching forth the hand of mercy to thefe poor Chriftians in their pitiable dif trefs, proves you to be a man fuperior to thofe fhameful prejudices, which make a falfe plea of religion for fhutting up the heart against all, but thofe of it's own faith and perfuafion. I have liftened to your narrative with attention, and it is but justice to you to confess, that your forbearing to retort upon the fcurrilous fellow in the lodging-houfe, who infulted you on the fcore of your national phyfiognomy, is a circumftance very highly to your credit, and what would have done honour to any one of the profeffors of that religion, which teaches us, when we are reviled, to revile not again. I alfo remarked the modeft manner of your fpeaking, when you unavoidably reported of your own good deeds; you founded no trumpet before you, and thereby convinced me you are not of that pharifiical

pharifaical leaven, which feeketh the praife of men; and let me tell you, Sir, it is the very teft of true charity, that it vaunteth not itfelf, is not puffed up. Humility, Mr Abrahams, in a peculiar degree is expected of you, as one of the children of wrath, flattered over the face of the earth without any abiding place which you may call your own: Charity alfo is in you a duty of more than ordinary obligation, for you and your's fubfil no otherwife than on the charity of the nations who give you fhelter: The alms of others may be termed a free gift of love, but your aims are in fact a legal tribute for protection. To conclude-I exhort you to take in good part what I have now been faying; you are the first of your nation l'ever cominuned with, and if hereafter in the execution of my duty I am led to peak with rigour of your ftiff-necked generation, I shall make a mental exception in your favour, and recommend you in my prayers for all Jews, Turks, infidels, and heretics by a feparate ejaculation in your behalf.

Whether Abrahams in his heart thanked the honeft curate for his zeal is hard to fay, but there was nothing to be obferved in his countenance, which befpoke any other emotions than thofe of benevolence and good-nature. My friend Drowly was not quite fo placid at certain periods of the difcourfe, and when he found that the humble Ifraelite made no other return, but by a civil inclination of the head to the fpeaker at the conclufion of the harangue, he faid to Abrahams in a qualifying tone of voice, Mr Beetie, Sir, means well: to which the other inftantly replied, that he did not doubt it; and then with a defign, as it fhould feem, to turn the discourte, informed Ned, that he had taken the liberty of going in perfon to the father of Mrs Goodifon, in hopes he would have allowed him to speak of the fituation in which he had found his daughter and her child; but alas! added he, I had no fooner began to open the bufinefs upon which I came, than he inftantly ftopt my mouth by demanding, if I came into his houfe to affront him? that he was aftonished at my ance for daring to name his dater in his hearing, and in the fine breath in a very haughty tone cried out, Harkye, Sir! are not you a Jew? to which I had no fooner res plied in the affirmative, than ringing his' bell very violently, he called out to his VOL. VII. No. 40.

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footman, to put that Jew out of his doors.

Here Abrahams paufed; Ned ftarted up from his chair, drank a glafs of wine, fhook the Jew by the hand, flounced down upon his feat again, whistled part of a tune, and turning to me faid in a half-whisper, What a world is this we live in?

After this converfation, Drowfy and his guefts paffed a focial evening, and honest Abrahams was prevailed upon to take bed at Poppy Hall. The next morning early, as I was walking in the pr den, I was much furprifed to find Ned there before me I dare fay you wonder, faid he, what could provoke my laziness to quit my pillow thus early, but I im refolved to shake off a flothful habuit, which till our discourse last night I never confidered as criminal. I have been thinking over all that Mr Abrahams told us about the diftrefied widow and her daughter, and I mult own to you I have a longing defire to obtain a fight of this Conftantia, whom he defcribes to be fo charming in mind and perfon. Now I don't know with what face I can invite her hither; befides, I confider, thoʼ I might prevail upon Mr Abrahams to bring her, yet I should be confoundediy hampered how to get handfomely off, if upon acquaintance it did not fuit me to propofe for her.

You judge rightly, faid I, your dilemma would be embarraffing.

Well then, quoth he, there is no al ternative but for me to go to her, and though I am aware of the trouble it will give me to take a journey to London, where I have never been, and shall probably make a very awkward figure, yet if you will encourage me fo far as to fay you will take a corner of my coach thi ther, and Mr Abrahams does not object to the fcheme, I will even pluck up a good corrage and fet out to-morrow.

Be it fo! antwered I, if Mr Abrahams approves of it, I have no objections to the party.

On the morrow we fet off; Abrahams and myfelf with Ned and his old fervant in his coach for London, and in the evening of the fecond day our post-boys delivered us fafe at Bloom's Inn in Lawrence-Lane. Abrahams procured us lodgings at the houfe of his apothecary in the Poultry, where he firft fheltered Mrs Goodifon and Conftantia; and having fettled this affair the good man haftened home to prefent hiiclf to his fa

mily,

mily, and prepare for our fupping at his houfe that night.

My friend Ned had been in a broad ftare of amazement ever fince his entry into London; he seemed anxious to know what all the people were about, and why they pofted up and down in fuch a hurry: he frequently alked me when they would go home and be quiet; for his own part he doubted if he should get a wink of fleep till he was fairly out of this noify town.

As he was feafting his curiofity from the window of our lodgings, the Lord Mayor paffed by in his itate-coach towards the Manfion Houfe-God blefs his Majefty! cried Ned, he is a portly man. He was rather difappointed when I fet him right in his mistake; but nevertheless the spectacle pleased him, and he commented very gravely upon the commodious fize of the coach and the flow pace of the proceffion, which he faid, thewed the good fenfe and difcretion of the city Magistrate; and observing him to be a very corpulent man, added with an air of fome confequence, that he would venture to pronounce my Lord Mayor of London was a wife man and confulted his own cafe.

We now were to fet ourselves in order for our visit to honeft Abrahams, and Ned began to fhew fome anxiety about certain articles of his drefs and appear ance, which did not exactly tally with the fpruce air of the city fparks, whom he had reconnoitred in the ftreets: the whole was comffedly of the ruftic order, but I encouraged him to put his truft in broad-cloth and country bloom, and feriously exhorted him not to truft his head to the fheers of a London hair-dreffer. I now ordered a coach to be called, which was no fooner announced than Ned obferved it was fpeedily got ready; but they do every thing in a hurry in this place, added he, and I wish to my heart the fat gentleman in the fine coach may order all the people to bed before our re turn, that I may fland fome chance of getting a little reft and quiet among them.

We now ftept into our hack, but not without a caution from Ned to the coachman to drive gently over the ftones, which, to give him his due, he faithfully performed. We were received at the door by our friendly Ifraelite with a fmil ing welcome, and conducted by him up ftairs to a plain but neat apartinent, in which was the miftrefs of the house, an

elderly decent matron, who prefented us to Mrs Goodifon, the mother of Conftantia, in whofe countenance, tho' pale and overcaft with melancholy, beauty and modeft dignity still kept their native poft.

Honeft Ned made his first approaches with a bow, which Veftris perhaps could have mended, though it was of nature's workmanship; and this he floutly follow. ed up with a kifs to each lady, after the cuftom of the country, that loudly spoke it's own good report.

Whilft these antient and exploded ce remonies were in operation, the door opened, and prefented to our eyes-a wonder! It was a combination of grace and beauty to have extorted raptures from old age itself; it was a form of modefty to have awed the passions of licentious youth; it was, in one word, Conftantia herself, and till our reigning beauties shall to equal charms add equal humility, and present themselves like her to the beholder's eye without one confcious glance of exultation at their triumphs, fhe muft remain no otherwife defcribed than as that name bespeaks the unrivalled model of her fex.

As for my friend Ned, who had acquitted himself fo dexterously with the elder ladies, his lips had done their office; neither voice nor motion remained with them, and aftouifhment would not even fuffer them to close-

Obftupuit, fteteruntque come, et vax
faucibus befit.

And what after all were the mighty inftruments by which thefe effects were produced? Hearken, O Tariftock-street, and believe it if you can! The fimpleft drefs, which modefty could clothe itself with, was all the armour which this conqueror had put on ; a plain white cot ton veft with a clofe head-drefs, (fuch as your very windows would have blufhed to have exhibited) filleted with a black filk ribband, were all the aids that nature borrowed to attire her matchlefs piece of work.

Ikus fhe ftood before us, and there fhe might have flood for us till now, if the compaflionate Ifraelite had not again ftepped in to her refcue: He led her to a chair, and, taking him. seat, set the converfation afloat by telling her of his vifit to the worthy gentlemen then prefen: (as his body indeed might witness, but for his fenfes they were elsewhere) spoke handfomely of his kind reception, of the natural beauties of the place and the

Country

country about it, and concluded with faving, he had now the honour to introduce the owner of that hofpitable manfion to her acquaintance, and he flattered himfelf he could not do a more acceptable office to both parties.

The aufwer which Conflantia made to this claborate harangue, would in vain be fought for in the academy of compliments, for it confifted fimply in the eloquence of two expreffive eyes, which the directed upon the fpeechlefs trunk of poor Ned, fomewhere, as I fhould guefs, about the region of his heart, for I am perfuaded her emiffaries never ftopped till they made their way to the citadel

and had audience there.

Ned now began to ftammer out a few fentences, by which, if Conftantia did not understand more than was expreffed, the could not be much the wifer for the information he gave her; he was glad and forry twice or thrice in a breath, and not always in the right place; he hoped, and believed, and prefumed to fay-juft nothing at all; when in a moment the word Supper! announced through the nofe of a fnuffling Hebrew fervant, came, as if it had been conjured up by the wand of an enchanter, to deliver him out of his diftrefs? The manna in the wilder nefs was hardly more welcome to the famifhed Jews, than were now the bloodlefs viands, that awaited us on the friendly board of Abrahams, to the ears I fhould have faid rather than to the appetite of Drowsy.

Love I know can do more in the way of metamorphofis, than Ovid ever heard of; and, to say the truth, what he had done to Ned was no trifling teft of his art; for it was in fact no less a change, than if he had transformed Morpheus into Mercury: Good fellowship however can do fomething in the fame way, and the hofpitable feftivity of the honeft Ifraelite now brought Ned's heart to his lips and fet it to work: Youth foon catches the focial fympathy, but even age and forrow now threw afide their gloom, and paid their fubfcription to the board with a good grace. Ned, whofe countenance was lighted up with a genuine glow of benevolence, that had entirely difpelled that air of laffitude, which had fo long difarmed an interefting fet of features of their natural vivacity and fpirit, now exhibited a character of as much manly beauty and even mental expreffion, as I had ever contemplated

Quid non poffit amor?
Madam, fays he, directing his difcourfe

to Mrs Goodifon, it is not for the honour of human nature, that I fhould wholly credit what our worthy hoft has told me: I won't believe there are half fo many bad hearts in the world as we hear of; it is not talking reafon to a man that will always argue him out of his obftinacy; it is not fuch a fellow as myself, no, nor even fo good a pleader as my friend here (pointing to Abrahams) who can turn a tough heart to pity; but let me once come across a certain father, that shall be nameless, and let me be properly prepa❤ red to encounter him, and I'll wager all I am worth, I will bring him round in a twinkling: Only let me have the proper credentials in my hand, do you fee, and I'll do it. I know whom you point at, replied Mrs Goodifon, but I don't comprehend all your meaning; what creden tials do you allude to? To the most pow erful, faid Ned, that nature ever fet her hand to; the irrefiftible eyes of this young lady; might I only fay-This angel is a fupplicant to you, the heart that would not melt must be of marble. Conftantia blushed, every body feemed delighted with the unexpected turn of Ned's reply, whilft Mrs Goodifon anfwered, that the feared even that experiment would dif appoint him; upon which he eagerly rejoined, Then I have a refource against the worft that can befal us: There is a comfortable little manfion ftands without-fide of my park; it is furnished and in compleat repair; there is a pleasant garden to it; Mr Abrahams has feen it, and if you will be my tenant, you fhall not find me fo hard a landlord, as fome you have had to deal with. As Ned fpoke thefe words, Mrs Goodifon turned her eyes full upon him with fo intelligent and fcrutinizing an expreffion, as to caufe a fhort ftop in his fpeech, after which he continued-Ah, Madam, how happy you might make me! the last inhabitant of this beloved little place was my excellent mother; fhe paffed two years of widowhood in it with no companion but my felf; I wish I had been more worthy of fuch fociety and more capable of impro ving by it; but I was fadly cramped in my education, being kept at home by my father, who meant all for the beft (God forbid I should reproach him!) and put me under the care of Parfon Beetle, the curate of our parish, an honest wellmeaning man, but alas! I was a dull lazy blockhead, and he did not keep me to my book. However, fuch as I am, I know my own deficiencies, and I hope want of honefty and fincerity is not Q ૬. among ft

amongst the number. Nobody can fufpect it, cried Abrahams. Pardon me, replied Nod, I am afraid Mrs Goodiion is not thoroughly convinced of it: furely, Madam, you will not fuppote I could lock you in the face and utter an untruth. Nobody can look in yours, Sir, aufwered file, and expect to hear one; it is your unmerited generefty that flops my tongue. Arter all, refumed Abrahams, I an as much indebted to your generofity as any body prefint, for as you have never once mentioned the name of my Conftautia in this propofal, I perceive you do not intend to rob me of both my comforts at the fame time. 'Tis becaufe I have not the prefumption to hope, anfwered Ned, that I have any thing to offer, which fuch excellence would condefcend to take: I could wish to tender her the best manfion I poffefs, but there is an encumbrance goes with it, which I defpair of reconciling to fo elegant a talle as her's. O love, faid I within myfelf, thou art a notable teacher of thetoric! I glanced my eye round the table; Ned did the very reverfe of what a modern fine gentleman would have done at the clofe of fuch a speech, he never once ventured to lift up his eyes, or direct a look towards the object he had addreffed: the fine countenance of Conftantia affumed a hue, which I fufpect our dealers in Circaffian bloom have not yet been able to imitate, nor, if they could, to fhift fo fuddenly; for whilfe my eye was palling over it, her cheek underwent a change, which courtly checks, who pur chafe blushes, are not fubject to: the whole was conducted by thofe moft genuine mafters and beft colourifts of the human countenance, modefty and fenfibility, under the direction of nature; and though I am told the ingaious Prefident of Royal Academy has attempted fomething in art, which refembles it, yet I am hard to believe, that his carnations, however volat le, can quite keep pace with the changes of Conftantia's cheek.

Wife and difcreet young ladies, who are taught to now the world by education and experience, have a better method of concealing their thoughts and & Letter reafon for concealing them; in fort, they manage this matter with more addreis, and do rot, like poor Conftantia-Wear their bearts upon their fleeve For daws to beck at.

When a fashionable lover affails his mistrefs with all that energy of action as well as utterance, which accompanies polite declarations of paffion, it would be highly indifcreet in her to fhew him how fupremely pleafed and flattered the is by his impudence; no, the puts a pro per portion of fcorn into her features, and with a ftern countenance tells him, he cannot ftand his in pertinence; if he will not take this fair warning and defift, fhe may indeed be overpowered through the weakness of her fex, but nobody can fay it was her bashfulness that betrayed her, or that there was any prudent hypocrify fpared in her defence.

Again, when a fashionable lady throws her fine arms round her husband's neck, and in the mournful tone of conjugal complaint fighs out" And will my "deareft leave his fond unhappy wife "to bewail his abfence, whilfi he is fol "lowing a vile filthy fox over hedge and "ditch at the peril of his neck?"—would it not be a moft unbred piece of fincerity were the to exprefs in her face what the feels in her heart--a cordial with that he may really break his neck, and that the is very much behelden to thofe ocious hounds, as fhe calls them, for taking him out of her fight? Certainly fuch an act of folly could not be put up with in an age and country fo enlightened as the prefent; and furely, when fo many la dies of diftinction are turning actreffes in public to amufe their friends, it would be hard if they did not fet apart feme rehearsals in private to accommodate themfelves.

[To be continued.]

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