When Mrs. Beauchamp entered the apartment
of the poor &longs;ufferer, &longs;he &longs;tarted back
with horror. On a wretched bed, without hangings,
and but poorly &longs;upplied with covering, lay
the emaciated figure of what &longs;till retained the semblance
of a lovely woman, though &longs;ickne&longs;s had &longs;o
altered her features that Mrs. Beauchamp had not
the lea&longs;t recollection of her per&longs;on. In one corner
of the room &longs;tood a woman wa&longs;hing, and,

[figure description] Page 159.[end figure description]

shivering over a &longs;mall fire, two healthy but half naked
children; the infant was a&longs;leep be&longs;ide its mother,
and, on a chair by the bed &longs;ide, &longs;tood a porrenger
and wooden &longs;poon, containing a little gruel, and
a tea-cup with about two &longs;poonfulls of wine in it.
Mrs. Beauehamp had never before beheld &longs;uch a
&longs;cene of poverty; &longs;he &longs;huddered involuntarily, and
exclaiming—“heaven pre&longs;erve us!” leaned on
the back of a chair ready to &longs;ink to the earth. The
doctor repented having &longs;o precipitately brought
her into this affecting &longs;cene; but there was no time
for apologies: Charlotte caught the &longs;ound of her
voice, and &longs;tarting almo&longs;t out of bed, exclaimed—
“Angel of peace and mercy, art thou come to
deliver me? Oh, I know you are, for whenever
you was near me I felt ea&longs;ed of half my &longs;orrows;
but you don't know me, nor can I, with all the
recollection I am mi&longs;tre&longs;s of, remember your name
ju&longs;t now, but I know that benevolent countenance,
and the &longs;oftne&longs;s of that voice which has &longs;o often
comforted the wretched Charlotte.”

Mrs. Beauchamp had, during the time Charlotte
was &longs;peaking, &longs;eated her&longs;elf on the bed and taken
one of her hands; &longs;he looked at her attentively,
and at the name of Charlotte &longs;he perfectly conceived
the whole &longs;hocking affair. A faint &longs;ickne&longs;s
came over her. “Gracious heaven,” &longs;aid &longs;he,
“is this po&longs;&longs;ible?” and bur&longs;ting into tears, &longs;he
reclined the burning head of Charlotte on her own

[figure description] Page 160.[end figure description]

bo&longs;om; and folding her arms about her, wept over
her in &longs;ilence. “Oh,” &longs;aid Charlotte “you are
very good to weep thus for me: it is a long time
&longs;ince I &longs;hed a tear for my&longs;elf: my head and heart are
both on fire, but the&longs;e tears of your's &longs;eem to cool
and refre&longs;h it. Oh now I remember you &longs;aid you
would &longs;end a letter to my poor father: do you think
he ever received it? or perhaps you have brought
me an an&longs;wer: why don't you &longs;peak, Madam?
Does he &longs;ay I may go home? Well he is very good?
I &longs;hall &longs;oon be ready.”

She then made an effort to get out of bed; but
being prevented, her frenzy again returned, and
&longs;he raved with the greate&longs;t wildne&longs;s and incoherence.
Mrs. Beauchamp, finding it was impo&longs;&longs;ible for
her to be removed, contented her&longs;elf with ordering
the apartment to be made more comfortable, and procuring
a proper nur&longs;e for both mother and child?
and having learnt the particulars of Charlotte's
fruitle&longs;s application to Mrs. Crayton from hone&longs;t
John, &longs;he amply rewarded him for his benevolence,
and returned home with a heart oppre&longs;&longs;ed with many
painful &longs;en&longs;ations, but yet rendered ea&longs;y by the
reflexion that &longs;he had performed her duty towards
a di&longs;tre&longs;&longs;ed fellow-creature.

Early the next morning &longs;he again vi&longs;ited Charlotte,
and found her tolerably compo&longs;ed; &longs;he
called her by name, thanked her for her goodne&longs;s,
and when her child was brought to her, pre&longs;&longs;ed it

[figure description] Page 161.[end figure description]

in her arms, wept over it, and called it the offspring
of di&longs;obedience. Mrs. Beauchamp was delighted
to &longs;ee her &longs;o much amended, and began
to hope &longs;he might recover, and, &longs;pite of her
former errors, become an u&longs;eful and re&longs;pectable
member of &longs;ociety; but the arrival of the doctor
put an end to the&longs;e delu&longs;ive hopes: he &longs;aid nature
was making her la&longs;t effort, and a few hours would
mo&longs;t probably con&longs;ign the unhappy girl to her kindred
du&longs;t.

Being a&longs;ked how &longs;he found her&longs;elf, &longs;he replied—
“Why better, much better, doctor. I hope
now I have but little more to &longs;uffer. I had la&longs;t
night a few hours &longs;leep, and when I awoke recovered
the full power of recollection. I am quite
&longs;en&longs;ible of my weakne&longs;s; I feel I have but little
longer to combat with the &longs;hafts of affliction. I
have an humble confidence in the mercy of him
who died to &longs;ave the world, and tru&longs;t that my
&longs;ufferings in this &longs;tate of mortality, joined to my
unfeigned repentance, through his mercy, have
blotted my offences from the &longs;ight of my offended
maker. I have but one care—my poor infant!
Father of mercy,” continued &longs;he, rai&longs;ing her eyes,
“of thy infinite goodne&longs;s, grant that the &longs;ins of
the parent be not vi&longs;ited on the unoffending child.
May tho&longs;e who taught me to de&longs;pi&longs;e thy laws be
forgiven; lay not my offences to their charge, I
be&longs;eech thee; and oh! &longs;hower the choice&longs;t of thy

[figure description] Page 162.[end figure description]

ble&longs;&longs;ings on tho&longs;e who&longs;e pity has &longs;oothed the afflicted
heart, and made ea&longs;y even the bed of pain and
&longs;ickne&longs;s.”

She was exhau&longs;ted by this fervent addre&longs;s to the
throne of mercy, and though her lips &longs;till moved
her voice became inarticulate: &longs;he lay for &longs;ome
time as it were in a do&longs;e, and then recovering,
faintly pre&longs;&longs;ed Mrs. Beauchamp's hand, and requested
that a clergyman might be &longs;ent for.

On his arrival &longs;he joined fervently in the pious
office, frequently mentioning her ingratitude to
her parents as what lay mo&longs;t heavy at her heart.
When &longs;he had performed the la&longs;t &longs;olemn duty,
and was preparing to lie down, a little bu&longs;tle on
the out&longs;ide door occa&longs;ioned Mrs. Beauchamp to
open it, and enquire the cau&longs;e. A man in appearance
about forty, pre&longs;ented him&longs;elf, and a&longs;ked
for Mrs. Beauchamp.

“That is my name, Sir,” &longs;aid &longs;he.

“Oh then, my dear Madam,” cried he, tell
“me where I may find my poor, ruined, but repentant
child.”

Mrs. Beauchamp was &longs;urpri&longs;ed and affected; &longs;he
knew not what to &longs;ay; &longs;he fore&longs;aw the agony this
interview would occa&longs;ion Mr. Temple, who had
ju&longs;t arrived in &longs;earch of his Charlotte, and yet was
&longs;en&longs;ible that the pardon and ble&longs;&longs;ing of her father
would &longs;often even the agonies of death to the
daughter.

[figure description] Page 163.[end figure description]