"the parlour for her mafter's return:

"

having pleased her by a cheap pur

chase, I asked if there were children "in the house? Yes,' faid fhe, "there is one little precious, but he "has tired himself with play, and has "fallen afleep on yonder fofa.' Oh,

Henry beloved of my foul, how did

"the heart of your wretched mother "fwell, almoft to bursting, when she "gazed over you, when the imprinted "a kifs on your forehead, and twined "her fingers in the ringlets of your " hair! How did I curfe my own "weakness in yielding to the villain "who had feduced me to forego my

happiness and honour. My tears and "emotions excited the curiofity of the "girl, but I fatisfied her with an evafive truth, that I loft a child who strongly " resembled

"refembled you, and diverting her at"tention to fome ribbons, I contrived "to cut off a small lock of your hair, "which I have ever fince treasured

next my heart. A fudden exclama"tion from the maid, that her master

was coming, forced me to quit the "house.

"At the near approach of your "father a fickly tremor feized me-my "limbs refused their office, and I was

obliged to fit down beneath a large

"tree, by which he was to pass; I

pulled my bonnet over my face, and "ventured to take a tranfient glance "while he rode up. He stopped at the

fpot where I fat, threw a fhilling into"the bafket that lay befide me, and "without fpeaking paffed on.

A pale

"fettled

"fettled melancholy overfpread his «face-it was an additional pang to 66 my heart."

POSTSCRIPT.

"On returning to London, my little "ftock was nearly exhaufted, I applied

to a neighbouring milliner for employ"ment, and during feveral years, con"trived to fupport myself by different "light works, but my health rapidly de"clining, I was no longer able to endea"your for fubfiftence-but it is cruel to "torture you with detailing the mifery I "endured. On being unable to discharge

a debt I had unavoidably incurred to "my landlord, I was arrested: you know "the rest.—I have only to request, my "Henry, that when my foul fhall have

"winged

"winged its flight to that bourne from "whence no traveller returns,' in the

trembling hope that repentance and

"contrition may plead for my offences,

you will never fuffer your reason to be " lulled by the delufive subtlety of liber"tinifm; preserve the early leffons of "virtue and religion that have directed

your youth, and which alone can insure "ultimate happiness. So when this bo"fom shall cease to throb with anguish, " and these eyes to drop the tear of mi

fery, you will, with fatisfaction, own "thofe truths which melancholy expe"rience has taught your unfortunate "mother.

"CLARA LENOX."

CHAP. VI.

My griefs are fled;

Surprising happiness, unlook'd for joy.

DISTREST MOTHER.

Such his attire: but ah! no pen can trace
The various beauties of his lovely face.

HENRY having refigned the parfonage to his father's fucceffor, and bidding a mournful adieu to the fcenes of his childhood, fet out for London. As it was late when he arrived, he deferred his purposed vifit till the following morning,

when