Page images
PDF
EPUB

its poor hammock, and brought him down naked in his arms: and as he gave him to the half-distracted mother, he felt that her joy and gratitude would have been no bad pay for the danger he had run, even if no higher motive had fet him to work. Poor Jenkins, half stupified by his misfortuné, had never thought of his child; and his wife, who expected every hour to make him father to a fecond, had not been able to do any thing towards faving little Tommy.

Mr. Trueman now put the child into Miss Fantom's apron, faying, "Did not I "tell you, my dear, that every body could "be of ufe at a fire?" He then defired her to carry the child home, and ordered the poor woman to follow her; faying, he would return himself as foon as he had feen all fafe in the cottage.

When the fire was quite out, and Mr. Trueman could be of no further use, he went back to Mr. Fantom's. The inftant he opened the parlour door he eagerly

VOL. IV.

D

eagerly cried out, "Where is the poor "woman, Mr. Fantom ?"" Not in my "houfe, I affure you," anfwered the phi lofopher."Give me leave to tell you, it "was a very romantic thing to fend her "and her child to me: you should have "provided for them at once, like a pru"dent man.""I thought I had done "fo," replied Trueman, " by fending "them to the nearest and the beft houfe

σε

66

in the parish, as the poor woman feemed

"to ftand in need of immediate affift“ance."--" So immediate," faid Fantom, "that I would not let her come into my "houfe, for fear what might happen. "So I packed her off, with her child, in "her arms, to the workhoufe; with or "ders to the overfeers not to let her want "for any thing."

"And what right have you, Mr. Fan

tom,

" cried Trueman in a high tone, "to expect that the overfeers will be more "humane than yourself? But is it poffible

[ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

.

"not only to walk, but to carry a naked "child, at fuch a time of night, to a place "fo diftant, fo ill provided, and in fuch a "condition? I hope at least you have "furnished them with cloaths; for all their awn little stores were burnt."-" Not I "indeed," faid Fantom. "What is the "ufe of parifh-officers, but to look after "thefe petty things?

It was Mr. Trueman's way, when he began to feel very angry, not to allow himself to speak; because, he used to say, "if I give vent to my feelings, I am fure, "by fome hafty word, to cut myself out "work for repentance." So without making any answer, or even changing his cloaths, which were very wet and dirty from having worked fo hard at the fire, he walked out again, having first inquired the road the woman had taken. At the door hemet Mrs. Fantom returning from her vifit. He told her his tale; which she had no fooner heard, than fhe kindly refolved to accompany him in fearch of Jenkins's wife.

D 2

wife. She had a wide common to walk over before fhe could reach either the workhouse or the neareft cottage. She' had crawled along with her baby as far as fhe was able; but having met with no refreshment at Mr. Fantom's, and her ftrength quite failing her, fhe had funk down on the middle of the common. Happily, Mr. Trueman and Mrs. Fantom came up at this very time. The former had had the precaution to bring a cordial; and the latter had gone back and ftuffed her pockets with old baby linen. Mr. True man foon procured the affiftance of a labourer, who happened to pafs by, to help him to carry the mother, and Mrs. Fantom carried the little shivering baby.

As foon as they were fafely lodged, Mr. Trueman fet off in fearch of poor Jenkins, who was diftreffed to know what was become of his wife and child; for having heard that they were feen going towards Mr. Fantom's, he despaired of any affistance from that quarter. Mr. Trueman

felt

felt no small satisfaction in uniting this poor man to his little family. There was fomething very moving in this meeting, and in the pious gratitude they expreffed for their deliverance. They seemed to forget they had lost their all, in the joy they felt that they had not loft each other. And fome difdainful great ones might have smiled to see so much rapture expreffed at the fafety of a child born to no inheritance but poverty. These are among the feelings with which Providence fometimes overpays the want of wealth. The good people alfo poured out prayers and bleffings on their deliverer, who, not being a philofopher, was no more afhamed of praying with them than he had been of working for them. Mr. Trueman, while affifting at the fire, had heard that Jenkins and his wife were both very honest, and very pious people; fo he told them he would not only pay for their new lodging, but undertook to raise a little fubfcription among his friends at the Cat and Bagpipes towards

D 3

« PreviousContinue »