bed in her embrace.

Her attendant and

friend entered, and with a look of terror led me to the window. At length I refpired, for I had been almoft fuffocated. 'Leave us, my dear mifs Nelfon,' faid Sophia placidly: Maria will foon recover.' I approached once more the bed, and mifs Nelfon left the room.

"You are furprised, my dear girl,' faid fhe with compofure, at a change which I regard as a bleffing; because I contemplate in it fomewhat more encouraging than you do. You weep, my Maria; and I rejoicenot that my career in life is destined only to reach to a few more feverish and suffering days, but because these days are foothed by faith and hope. This bed of fickness is the scene of my triumphs: it has infured to me a victory which will reach beyond the grave. I have already had a foretaste of those confolations which are referved for the contrite of heart,' and I can exultingly fay, Bleffed are those who mourn, for they fhall be comforted.'...My father

has

has received with parental love his penitent child; and you, my Maria, seek your guilty friend, to pardon and to pity her.--Mifs Nelfon too,'-fhe was interrupted by her entrance You talk too much,' faid the affectionately. I muft fend your friend away,' fmiling on me: mifs Dalrymple must know my authority here.'- Not yet, Emma, not yet,' cried Sophia with vivacity, taking my hand and placing it on miss Nelfon's lips: not yet,' repeated fhe: 'I will not fpeak another word, if fhe stays and talks with you.'

pallid hue

hectic and

"This interruption was feasonable: the converfation was lefs interefting; but I difcovered a gentleness and sweetness in miss Nelfon which charmed me. I was not, however, unobfervant of the which had fucceeded to the beautiful glow on the cheek of my friend, and I rofe to quit the room. "You will come,' faid fhe languidly, and help me to manage Emma: I shall destroy her! She is very headstrong, Maria, and liftens to no

thing I can fay: I wonder fhe is not dead with watching me.'

"You will imagine, my dear madam," continued Mrs. Erlingford, "the impreffion which this scene made on my mind and fpirits. My father and aunt were little less powerfully touched by my relation of it. My father inftantly quitted the room, and wrote to his friend Mr. Hanway. The anfwer to this letter included an invitation to pass the following day at the Hall. On our arrival, the two re-united friends stepped into Mr. Hanway's carriage, which was waiting, in order to take an airing. My aunt and myself joined Sophia in the dreffing-room: fhe was on the fopha, and fupported as in bed. She received us with cheerfulness, and after fome little converfation with my aunt, relative to her complaints, obferved that her mother had died of a confumption. But now,' pursued she,

turning to Emma,

liften to me, my love!

and be tractable: go into the garden, and walk an hour; it is a delightful morning,

and

and you muft have air and exercife. Leave then your patient and your orders with the best woman, and the best nurse, in this county.' Mifs Nelfon placed a phial of cordial julep on the table, and withdrew.

"To that amiable and worthy young woman,' faid Sophia as fhe fhut the door, 'do I owe much of the comfort of this preffing hour: her attention to me is unremitting and unwearied; but these are the least of the obligations which I have to acknowledge.' Seeing us take the alarm at a prelude which, from the serious air of her countenance, dénoted fomething like a purpose we wished to fhun-fhe paused a few moments, and then with folemnity faid, Indulge me, my friends: it gratifies me to recall paft fcenes. The comparison of what I once was, with that which I truft I am at prefent, is a cordial more efficacious than that before you, my good mifs Dalrymple.'

"She looked at the phial. This,' faid fhe, is useless but as it contents thofe about

me:

me: the other communicates joy and peace: do not then interrupt me. I will spare your feelings as much as I can; for I know all the benevolent workings of your minds. But these are precious moments to me! and it is neceffary that I fhould place the circumstances of my guilt before you, as well as the evidences of my repentance.' There was an irrefiftible perfuafion in her words and manner. We were filent, and she proceeded. -'I will not attempt to enter into the detail of that progreffive courfe of bafeness and duplicity which at length conducted me to reproach and shame. I have long fince rejected those extenuations, to which my feeble and alarmed confcience at firft clung. I know that God judgeth not as man judgeth,' and that allowances will be made in favour of mifguided and inconfiderate youth; but I know also that the apology of ignorance is very fhort. Short indeed are those pleadings allowed by the fallacious hope of an erring mind!-I perfectly recollect feeling that I was acting contrary to my duty, in

VOL. II.

the