neighbouring young man with whom I had been acquainted from my childhood, I gave him my hand and commenced wife. And as my love for him was paffionate, fo my conduct was blamelefs. We lived fifteen months in much content; though we found it hard enough to get bread. We had few relations and fewer acquaintance: The former pretended total disgust at our marriage, and forsook us; the latter were unable to affift us. My husband had been brought up to the fea; and finding it impracticable to get a livelihood for us, on fhore, determined to try his fortune, and take another voyage. This you may imagine was painful to me but neceffity required it: and we were to part. To part, never, never more to meet !

O thou faithful and dear youth-hadft thou lived to return; couldst thou have received, or could I have brought a polluted adultress to thy arms! Good God, the dreadful thought ftabs me to the heart! That thus I fhould reward, thus treat an affection tender and honeft as was thine! Yet, oh dearest fhade, yet oh my departed hufband (for I will now call you fuch) yet if fouls deceased know any thing of the affairs of this. world, it must be some fatisfaction to behold this anguish of my mind, this unfeigned forrow for my execrable offence; and to fee me in the road to that pardon and forgiveness, which thro' E 6 the

the Redeemer, will minister an entrance to me into thofe realms, where I fhall fee thee again, and shall never more offend.

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Pardon, Sir, this digreffion: but when the heart is full we cannot eafily forbear- -We parted; and when I bid adieu to the best of youths, I bid adieu to all terrestrial happiness! He recommended me at his departure, and often before, to the particular care and regard of a young man, his most intimate and efteemed friend. For God's fake (faid he, to him, the night before he left me) dear Harry, be a friend to my poor wife: you know that when I leave her, I leave all that is valuable to me upon earth. Nothing but extreme neceffity could drag me from a woman, in whom I have treafured up my foul, and whofe virtues deserve more affection, if poffible, than I feel for her. Don't see her want, lend her all the affistance you are able; I will joyfully repay it, when (please God) I return: my dear friend, I commit all I love to your tendereft protection-be a father and a guardian to the wife of my bofom -and her and my prayers fhall ever afcend for you." Grief and fhame incite me to conceal the reft, grief for the ingratitude of the friend, fhame for the perfidy and infidelity of the deteftable wife! But believe me, Sir, and I deliver it with the most folemn truth it was want,

the

the importunate calls of hunger and thirst, which prevailed more than any other perfuafive! you and those, who have never known the extremity of want, the preffing folicitations of hunger, are lefs able to judge of their effects but I who have felt them, in their utmost misery, well know, that they are fuperior to almoft all arguments.

Remorfe and fhame inftantly poffeffed my mind: but not sufficiently to preserve me from a repetition of my crime: I can truly say, that no wanton pleasure incited me to it: I was plunged into guilt; I grew heedless of myself, and conftant difquietude blackened every moment of my existence. I did not continue long however in this wretched ftate: for in less than a month I found myself abandoned by the cruel and falfe friend of my dear husband; and, what was worse, polluted with a disease, of which I knew neither the name nor the nature!

I clearly faw, and confeffed that this was but the due reward of my crime, and with a defpairing heart, I acknowledged the justice of God! In this ftate I courted nothing but death: I longed for nothing but diffolution, which I had no doubt was approaching with hafty steps towards me; and I beheld it with a horrible and afflicting hope! But, alas! the tyrant loves to keep the children of affliction long under

their load, and to haften to those who least wish for his approach. I had determined, however, to use no means either for the recovery of health, or the preservation of life. I gave myself up to despair. I had no friends to apply to, and I was ordered, by the master of the house, to leave the lodgings I had with him. In confequence of this terrible notice (which was like a thunder-clap to me for while for while I had a place to hide my head in, and to weep, it was fome comfort to me), I went in the evening into the fields adjoining to London, and there I paffed the melancholy night-the most melancholy, I believe, poor young creature ever paffed but the prelude to a day the most joyful, that ever rofe upon me, and which, I hope, I shall remember with everlasting gratitude. - For, in the morning, as I wandered homewards, scarce knowing where I went, and as little caring; loft in the reflection on my infurmountable diftreffes; I happened no, I was guided by fome invifible Angel, fome benevolent minister of that God, who suffereth not a sparrow to perish unnoticed by him, I was guided down that street, which will for ever be celebrated for having blessed so many young creatures in the divine Magdalen-Houfe. The particular appearance of the house struck me; and I ftood still to look at it, and to read the infcription upon it. When an humane gentleman

2

tleman came up to me, and with much kindness faid, "Do you know, child, for whom that place is defigned?" Upon my replying, no: "For unhappy young women, faid he; for those who have tranfgreffed the bounds of virtue, but are forry for it, and defirous to retrieve their characters."-Upon this I burst into tears; and he defiring me to walk over with him tothe house, where the ever to be valued Treafurer happened to be; I told them my pitiable tale, in the general; acknowledged myself an unhappy prostitute, who wished to be penitentand began to intreat them to have mercy — but indeed there was no need of intreating. I found them fo compaffionate and benevolent, that I conceived good hopes; and having received their directions, I applied that evening to the committee; was received into the house, and was faved!

Here, Sir, have I been ever fince; and all I wifh is, that I had it in my power to fet forth the comforts of the place, the kind treatment we meet with, and the care that is taken to make us happy both in body and foul; I have experienced it in the highest degree in ficknefs, the most gentle humanity: in health, the most friendly encouragements: our apartments agreeable; our provifions excellent: every thing that can contribute to our peace: more, infi

nitely