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I Should like to know the certainty of it, &longs;aid I,
putting the petition into my pocket.—It contained
an account of an unfortunate trade&longs;man reduced to
want, with a wife and three &longs;mall children.—He asked
not charity for him&longs;elf, but them.—I &longs;hould like
to know the certainty of it, &longs;aid I—there are &longs;o many
feigned tales of di&longs;tre&longs;s, and the world is &longs;o full
of duplicity, that in following the dictates of humanity
we often encourage idlene&longs;s.—Could I but be
&longs;atisfied of the authenticity of this man's &longs;tory, I
would do &longs;omething for him.

Will your honour plea&longs;e to &longs;end an an&longs;wer?—&longs;aid
the child, that brought the petition.

I had forgot her—by the unaffected innocence of
her countenance, &longs;he could &longs;carcely have &longs;een nine
years.—Meekne&longs;s &longs;miled in her &longs;weet eyes—what a
lovely flower, &longs;aid I—'tis a pity the chilling breath
of &longs;orrow &longs;hould vi&longs;it thee too rudely—I gave her
half a guinea, and bid her tell her father to come to
me the next morning.