When good Dame Darwell got to that part of her story with which we have
closed the last chapter, she was accustomed to clasp both of her hands together,
lift her eyes towards the heavens and shake her head several times very mysteriously;
and then say to her auditors,

`What I have told you is nothing, nothing to what is now coming. The
carriage drove off, as I said, but I could see by the light of the moon that the
lady leaned out and looked back towards the Inn till she was out of sight.
Poor lady! I did not then know what she was looking back for. Well, I went
into the house, and just as I did so couzin Mariah and aunt Keezy got home
from the sewing circle, and we all sot down in the porch together because it
was a pleasant moonshiny evening, and when they begun to tell me about the
sewing circle, I stopped 'em by beginning to talk about the handsome gentleman
in black and the beautiful lady in mourning; and how she wept.

`I expect,' says aunt Keezy, `she's just lost her father and goin' home from
the funeral.'

`Perhaps her husband treats her bad,' says couzin Mariah; `I shouldn't
wonder, 'specially as he wouldn't let no body wait on her but himself.'

`He waited on her coz she preferred it,' said I something quick; for couzin
Mariah, because she was an old maid, was always making a slur at husband's,
and I always stand up for 'em for dear George's sake.'

`It's very mysterious they should propose to stay all night and then go away
at dark,' says aunt Keezy shaking her head. `Did you find out their names?'

`No,' said I, `but I saw on the brass plate on the trunk three letters, F. R. M.'

Aunt Keezy repeated the letters over and over, and so did couzin Mariah,

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but they nor I could make nothing of them. Well, we than began to talk about
the sewing circle. Aunt Keezy said she had in all made two shirts, a gown,
and hemmed four cotton pocket handkerchiefs to clothe the nakedness of the
little Sandwich Islanders with; while couzin Mariah said she had made three
waistcoats, three children's frocks, and knit six pairs of garters since spring for
the Flat-Foot Indians. Both then began to talk of the virtue of charity and
benevolence, and couzin Mariah particularly said how immodest it was to let
the heathen go stark naked, and if she could she'd have 'em all put into trowsers
rite off. She had such pity for 'em. While we were setting talking in
this manner and they were unrolling and displaying what they had made, a poor
woman and three children came along the pike and stopped at the door. The
woman, it could be seen by the moonlight, was in rags, and her old gown was
slit so that the bare knee was visible; while the two little girls and boy were
half naked, one of them only able to keep her tatters upon her by holding them
up with her hands. The poor woman, who was Irish, said that she was from
New York where her husband had died, and was going to Boston where she
had a brother; and that she begged her way, for she hadn't seen the color of a
penny since many a weary week. I al'ays suspected aunt Keezy's and couzin
Mariah's charities were like the Pharisee's prayers, to be seen of men, so I
didn't say any thing but waited to see what would come to pass.

`Its a plizzint evenin' ye are enjoyin' in the door leddies, and God bliss ye
and long kape the roof o'er yer heds,' sez she; `for its long since the roof has been
over me and mine! I bliss God ye have the home and the nice cloathin', and
no doubt plenty food to yer hunger. It's me and mine is starvin' and is naked!
God gives the sparrows feathers, but to clothe his childer he puts sweet charity
into the hearts of the rich. Is it a shelter and a bit of bread ye'll give me for
my babes, good leddies?'

The words and appeal were so pathetic I could not help the tears coming
into my eyes; but I hardened my heart a little minute or two till I should see
what my couzin and aunt Keezy would do; for I knew what I would do! So I
got up and went into the tap as if for something.

`This is a tavern,' said aunt Keezy sharply; `and no one need expect to be
entertained here without pay.'

`Yes; go to some of the farmer's houses, if you want help,' said couzin
Mariah. `I am really shocked to see you go about so, woman, with your bare
knee sticking out so! How immodest! Why do you not sew it up?'

`Its niver a stitch 'll stay, but the first step I take tares it out, the cloth is so
rotten. I am modest, leddies, if I am poor! If you could give me an old bit
dress, or—'

`We have nothing here for you, so tramp with your brats,' said aunt Keezy
sharply.

`You'll find lodging among your own class somewhere up the pike.'

I now came out. `Poor woman,' says I, `you seem very destitute. Have
vou no other garments than those rags for yourself and your children?'

`None, marm, so help me the swate virgin.'

`They are not sufficient for decency.'

`That is what I have been telling her,' said couzin Mariah with warmth.
`Indeed, woman, I am shocked you should be seen so. You can't be a fit object
of charity to have so little modesty. That little boy too! Fie! You ought
certainly to be ashamed to bring such objects before decent people.' And
couzin Mariah covered her eyes to keep from seeing such shocking depravity.

I was now roused. I am never angry except at such things as this. So I
said, but very quietly so that she need not suspect,

`How many gowns did you make at the sewing circle for the Sandwich Islander's,
couzin?'

`I made three child's frocks, three waistcoats and knit six pair of garters,
they are all to be sent out in the first ship.'

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`And how many things did you make, aunt?' sez I.

`Two shirts, a gown, and hemmed four pocket handkerchiefs.'

`Let me see them,' said I in the same quiet way, as if I wasn't thinking at
all about the poor woman and her children who stood so pitifully outside the
door. So they handed them to me without any suspicion, thinking I was going
to admire their work and praise their industry; for the idea of any really
charitable destination of their articles never once entered their narrow and selfish
minds. I unrolled the gown and the three frocks, and to my delight I saw
that the frocks were just the children's sizes and that the dress would be just
the thing for the mother.

`They are very nice garments,' said I. `These are to be your free gifts
for the Sandwich Islanders and the Flat-Foot Indians, are they not?' said I.

`Yes, we give them in charity,' both answered with a sort of Pharisaic exultation,
wishing to give me a high notion of their charity. But I knew them
both quite as well as they knew themselves, and I always hated all hypocrisy.
So I said,

`Then Heaven has rewarded your charity by bringing the Sandwich Islanders
to your door instead of waiting to have the clothes take a long voyage to
hunt them up. I will be the dispenser of your charity, good aunt. Here, poor
Sandwich Islander,' said I, turning to the woman and handing her the gown,
`here is a gown this good lady in spectacles has just finished for you. Take
it and give her many thanks for it.'

The poor woman took it, and knelt right down before aunt Keezy and poured
out a volume of the most grateful benedictions upon her and her children and
her children's children. In the meanwhile I had unrolled the three frocks,
and given one to each of the children, saying to them,

`My poor little Flat-Foot Indians whom Providence has sent to my door,
here is a frock for each of you this good lady (pointing to couzin Mariah) has
made for you. Take them and thank her for thinking of you in your destitution.
'

The children took the frocks, (they were ten, eight, and six years old, the
boy being the least) and all three imitating their mother dropped on their
naked knees down before couzin Mariah. There is no describing the consternation
and utter astonishment of both aunt Keezy and couzin Mariah. They
first looked at me and then at the poor woman, then at the gown, which the
next moment she took forcible possession of, abusing the innocent women as a
thief and an imposter; while the latter looked as angry as she dared to be; for
she caught my eye and saw that I was not only in earnest but very indignant.
But for that she would have rescued her frocks also.

`Give back the gown, aunt,' I said firmly. `It is the woman's. You made
it, or profess to have made it for charity. Charity has sent hither her hand-maid
to receive it. Restore it to her.

Aunt Keezy sulkily obeyed, and both looked angry and mortified. I continued,

`This is your charity! This is your pious benevolence! Spend your time
making up clothing for heathens on the other side of the world who may never
be benefitted by them, and letting the naked heathens that God sends to your
very feet perish! This kind of charity is not of Heaven! It is not angel's
charity! A truly benevolent woman's heart will bleed for the naked Irish woman
as freely as for the Sandwich Island woman. `Give while thou hast the
poor with thee,' is the language of the Holy Scriptures. Deliver me from that
morbid charity which sheds tears because savages go bare-foot, and turns a
deaf ear to the prayers of the poor in a Christian land! Tell your sewing-circle
they will find Sandwich Island savages and Flat Foot Indians around their own
doors. If you had given to this woman but a pocket handkerchief, or offered
her food, I would have believed in your Sandwich Island charity! But now I
would not give a fig for it. I could put all the true charity you both possess in

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the eye of a cambric needle and then you couldn't find it with double patent
spectacles.'

`You will see I was up,' said good Dame Darwell in recounting this affair,
`but if any thing moves me it is meanness and low views in people who pretend
to be saints. Aunt Keezy and couzin Mariah wanted the minister (who was a
bachelor) to think they were so very charitable; and also to have the merit of
it in the world: for every body knew who gave to the Sandwich Islanders and
knit stockings for the Flat-Food Indians; but nobody knew who gave to the
poor in secret! Well, they looked at me and at one another; and then couzin
Mariah burst out a sobbing and aunt Keezy looked as angry as a thunder
clould.

`I declare, couzin Hetty,' cried Mariah, `this is cruel and shameful.'

`It is outrageous,' thundered aunt Keezy.

`Very well,' said I very quietly; for I was calm again now I had my say;
`who gave you the calico for the dresses, aunt Keezy?'

She didn't answer and I replied, `Wasn't it I? Didn't I give you both material
for all—the cotton, yarn, thread, and even the needles? In a word, is
there any thing either of you have on your backs that I did not give you. Have
you not been fed, lodged and clothed by me, one of you for five years, and your
aunt Keezy for seven? What I have given these poor people is my own.'

`You ought to be ashamed to throw up our dependence on you to us,' cried
aunt Keezy, now fairly mad.

`It is ungenerous to boast of your charities in this manner,' cried couzin
Mariah.

`I did not boast. I spoke of them to humble you, and to show you that you
are just as dependent upon me as that poor woman, for lodging, food and
clothing to night. What you have on is mine; and it would be just to make
you both take it off and clothe this poor woman with it!'

Here both burst out a crying and took on so that I told them they should
both go at once if they did not stop, when they made shift to be quiet. I had
given them a good lesson and a good lecture, and that was all I wanted; for I
would sooner have gone out of my own house than turned out poor aunt Keezy,
who though a close, narrow minded woman was too simple to take any care of
herself; and couzin Mariah I liked all but for her being over religious. But
the lesson I gave them did them both good. It made them more humble, and
gave them a better notion of what was true charity.

`Now,' says I, `that you needn't call me unjust and accuse me of being like
an Indian in taking back what I have once bestowed, if to-morrow you will
price these articles according as the society values them, I will pay you the
money for them. Now, good woman,' said I, `come in with your children,
and let us try on the dresses, but first they must be well scrubbed.'

`So I took 'em through to the kitchen and first gave them a hearty meal, and
it did me good, and the poor mother too, to see the little brats devour the bread
and butter. After they had got through I had them all put into a tub and the
cook and her girl washed them from head to heel. I then put them all in one
bed next the kitchen, meaning to get something ready that night to complete
their wardrobe when they got up in the morning; for not a rag they had worn
was fit to put on again, and I made Dick burn them in the stable yard. The
poor woman I let sleep in the same room with her children, meaning to help
out her wardrobe in the morning from mine. The grateful creature! I could
hardly get her off to bed for her blessings and prayers. Well, Aunt Keezy
and couzin Mariah set to work altering and making up little articles for the
children to put on, glad of an opportunity to redeem their credit with me. We
sat up till it was quite late, cutting out and sewing together; and the clock
had just struck ten, when couzin Mariah, who had uncommonly sharp ears,
stopped and listened and said she thought she heard a child crying.

`It is one of the poor woman's,' I said; `I will go and see if the little one

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has'nt fallen out of the bed.' So I took a light and went out of the little parlor
across the kitchen and opened the door of the room. They were all asleep,
the poor woman having her little boy fast asleep by her side, no doubt having
got up to get him to lay by her. All was still. I went back to the room and
had hardly taken up my work, when we all thought we heard the cry of a child.
We paused and listened. It was not repeated, and aunt Keezy set down the
the sound to the cat.

`It was like a cat,' said I, `but there is the cat on the chair under the window.
'

`Then what could it have been?' cried couzin Mariah, looking pale.

`Perhaps some strange cat,' said I.

I had hardly spoken when I heard it again louder than before. It was a
sharp, loud cry, but seemed a good way off. We all started and looked in the
direction of the sound and listened attentively and with beating hearts.

`It must be the boy,' I said, after waiting a little while. `He has probably
cried out in his sleep.'

`It did not sound like a boy's cry,' said aunt Keezy. `It was a baby's, if
ever a baby cried in the world.'

`No neighbor has a baby within half a mile of here. It can't be,' I said
positively.

`There it is again,' exclaimed Mariah, running to me and catching firm hold
of my shoulder.

Sure enough we heard it now loud and distinct. It was plainly the cry of a
good lusty baby. It did not now go like the wail of a cat, but emitted full and
clear notes that were not to be mistaken.

`It comes from the further end of the house,' said aunt Keezy, who had now
caught hold of couzin Mariah as fast as she had hold upon me.

`From the Court Chamber,' gasped the latter.

I was perplexed and contounded. The child continued to cry, and wholly
at a loss to explain it, I took up the light and determined to proceed at once
in the direction of the sounds. Aunt Keezy would have dissuaded me, asseverating
that it might be a ghost, especially as my husband George had died
in that distant room. But I knew George hadn't a cry like a six month's baby
and I resolutely resolved to see the matter to the bottom. Afraid to be left
alone and yet equally afraid to accompany me, they followed me with trembling
steps along the passage from which the cries still came louder and louder.