Part 9 (1/2)

'Well, sir,' said I to my fellow prisoner, 'you now discover the temper of the man that oppresses me He can at once be facetious and cruel; but let him use me as he will, I shall soon be free, in spite of all his bolts to restrain hter as I approach it: this expectation cheers h I leave an helpless family of orphans behind me, yet they will not be utterly forsaken; some friend, perhaps, will be found to assist them for the sake of their poor father, and some may charitably relieve them for the sake of their heavenly father'

Just as I spoke, my wife, whom I had not seen that day before, appeared with looks of terror, andefforts, but unable to speak 'Why, my love,' cried I, 'ill you thus encrease h no submissions can turn our severe mister, tho' he has dooh we have lost a darling child, yet still you will find comfort in your other children when I shall be nochild My Sophia, one, snatched from us, carried off by ruffians!'

'How madam,' cried my fellow prisoner, 'Miss Sophia carried off by villains, sure it cannot be?'

She could only ansith a fixed look and a flood of tears But one of the prisoners' wives, as present, and caave us a more distinct account: she infor a walk together on the great road a little way out of the village, a post-chaise and pair drove up to them and instantly stopt Upon which, a well drest hter round the waist, and forcing her in, bid the postillion drive on, so that they were out of sight in a moment

'Now,' cried I, 'the su on earth to giveWhat! not one left! not to leave me one! the monster! the child that was next el, and alel But support that woman, nor let her fall Not to leave me one!'--'Alas! my husband,'

said my wife, 'you seereat; but I could bear this and more, if I saw you but easy They may take away my children and all the world, if they leave me but you'

My Son, as present, endeavoured to rief; he bade us take coht still have reason to be thankful--'My child,' cried I, 'look round the world, and see if there be any happiness left me now Is not every ray of coht prospects only lie beyond the grave!'--'My dear father,' returned he, 'I hope there is still soive you an interval of satisfaction; for I have a letter froe'--'What of him, child,' interrupted I, 'does he know our misery

I hope my boy is exempt from any part of what his wretched faay, chearful, and happy His letter brings nothing but good news; he is the favourite of his colonel, who promises to procure him the very next lieutenancy that becomes vacant!'

'And are you sure of all this,' criedill has befallenindeed, madaive you the highest pleasure; and if any thing can procure you comfort, I am sure that will' 'But are you sure,' still repeated she, 'that the letter is from himself, and that he is really so happy?'--'Yes, Madam,' replied he, 'it is certainly his, and he will one day be the credit and the support of our family!'--'Then I thank providence,' cried she, 'that my last letter to hi to h the hand of heaven is sore upon us in other instances, it has been favourable here By the last letter I wrote er, I desired hi, and if he had the heart of a e our cause But thanks be to his, it has miscarried, and I am at rest' 'Woman,' cried I, 'thou hast done very ill, and at another tiht have been ulph hast thou escaped, that would have buried both thee and him in endless ruin Providence, indeed, has here been kinder to us than we to ourselves It has reserved that son to be the father and protector of my children when I shall be away How unjustly did I co stript of every comfort, when still I hear that he is happy and insensible of our afflictions; still kept in reserve to support his ed mother, and to protect his brothers and sisters But what sisters has he left, he has no sisters now, they are all gone, robbed from me, and I a you will give me leave to read this letter, I knoill please you' Upon which, with my permission, he read as follows:--

Honoured Sir,--I have called off ination a few moments from the pleasures that surround , the dear little fire-side at ho to every line of this with great coht which never felt the defor hand of ambition or distress! But whatever your happiness may be at home, I am sure it will be some addition to it, to hear that I am perfectly pleased with idom; the colonel, who professes himself my friend, takes me with him to all coenerally findit I danced last night with Lady G-, and could I forget you knohoht be perhaps successful But it is otten by most of my absent friends, and in this nu expected the pleasure of a letter from home to no purpose Olivia and Sophia too, prootten es, and that I am this moment in a most violent passion with them: yet still, I know not how, tho' I want to bluster a little, my heart is respondent only to softer emotions Then tell them, sir, that after all, I love the

Your dutiful son

'In all our miseries,' cried I, 'what thanks have we not to return, that one at least of our fauard, and keep my boy thus happy to be the supporter of his ed mother, and the father of these two babes, which is all the patrimony I can now bequeath him May he keep their innocence from the temptations of want, and be their conductor in the paths of honour' I had scarce said these words, when a noise, like that of a tumult, seemed to proceed fro of fetters was heard along the passage that led toa man all bloody, wounded and fettered with the heaviest irons I looked with compassion on the wretch as he approached e! My George! and do I find thee thus Wounded! Fettered! Is this thy happiness! Is this the ht could break my heart at once and let me die!'

'Where, Sir, is your fortitude,' returned my son with an intrepid voice

'I must suffer, my life is forfeited, and let them take it'

I tried to restrain ht I should have died with the effort--'O my boy, my heart weeps to behold thee thus, and I cannot, cannot help it In the ht thee blest, and prayed for thy safety, to behold thee thus again! Chained, wounded And yet the death of the youthful is happy

But I am old, a very old man, and have lived to see this day To seeabout me, while I continue a wretched survivor in the midst of ruin! May all the curses that ever sunk a soul fall heavy upon the murderer of my children May he live, like me, to see--'

'Hold, Sir,' replied etful of your age, your holy calling, thus to arrogate the justice of heaven, and fling those curses upward that rey head with destruction! No, Sir, let it be your care now to fit me for that vile death I ive e to drink of that bitterness which must shortly be my portion'

'My child, you must not die: I am sure no offence of thine can deserve so vile a punishuilty of any crime to make his ancestors ashamed of him'

'Mine, Sir,' returned my son, 'is, I fear, an unpardonable one When I received my mother's letter from home, I immediately came down, determined to punish the betrayer of our honour, and sent him an order to meetfour of his domestics to seize me I wounded one who first assaulted me, and I fear desperately, but the rest made me their prisoner The coward is deterainst e, and as I aressor upon the statute, I see no hopes of pardon But you have often charmed me with your lessons of fortitude, let me now, Sir, find them in your example'

'And, my son, you shall find them I am now raised above this world, and all the pleasures it can produce From this moment I break from my heart all the ties that held it down to earth, and will prepare to fit us both for eternity Yes, uide yours in the ascent, for ill take our flight together I now see and am convinced you can expect no pardon here, and I can only exhort you to seek it at that greatest tribunal where we both shall shortly answer But let us not be niggardly in our exhortation, but let all our fellow prisoners have a share: good gaoler let them be permitted to stand here, while I atte, I th, and was able only to recline against the wall The prisoners asse to my direction, for they loved to hear my council, my son and his mother supported , and then addressed the exhortation

CHAPTER 29

The equal dealings of providence deard to the happy and the miserable here below That from the nature of pleasure and pain, the wretched s in the life hereafter

My friends, my children, and fellow sufferers, when I reflect on the distribution of good and evil here below, I find that iven h we should examine the whole world, we shall not find oneleft to wish for; but we daily see thousands who by suicide shew us they have nothing left to hope In this life then it appears that we cannot be entirely blest; but yet we may be completely miserable!