DIALOGUE XLV.

MR. WORTHY AND FAMILY, MR. LOVEGOOD, AND HENRY LITTLEWORTH.

PRISON MEDITATIONS.

O other alteration in the plan settled in the former dialogue took place, than that by the humble request of Mrs. Sparkish, she might be permitted to take a part in the same chaise procured for Mr. Lovegood and Mr. H. Littleworth, by the benevolent Mr. Worthy, that she might know how far the present attempt to save her son's life might succeed; or else bathe him in her tears, before he was given over into the hands of the executioner for death.

On the return of Henry and Mr. Lovegood, they hoth went to Mr. Worthy's by his peculiar desire. Mrs. Sparkish alighted at her own house, as they passed through Mapleton to Brookfield Hall; they did not arrive till late on the Saturday afternoon; the dialogue thus began:

Wor. [To Mr. Lovegood.] How do you do my good Sir? [to Henry.] How are you Mr. Henry? we have scarcely finished our tea, will you take a cup with us?

[They accept it; and while the tea was handed about, the conversation continued.]

Wor. We have followed you with many an anxious thought, since you left us. I almost fear by your looks to ask what has been the result.

Loveg. Sir, I never was so agitated in all my life, what I have seen this morning, and indeed all through, has almost entirely overset me.

Wor. What, then have all of them been left to suffer?

Loveg. Oh no, Sir, Sam Blood alone was, and I think very deservedly, given over to death: he was a most desperate, hardened, bloody-minded man.

Wor. Our Judges are very merciful.-They will always save lives if they can; though justice must not always sleep, or we should not be permitted to sleep in our beds.

Loveg. Sir, we have just proved that to be the case, as it respects poor Frolic and Sparkish.-But still, to see a fellow-creature hung up by the neck like a dog, as unfit to live, what a mortifying event! what a proof of the fall!-The first man born into the world by natural generation, was as bad as he could be. A murderer of his righteous brother.

Mrs. Wor. But Sir, we are solicitous to hear a more regular narration of these events.

Loveg. Madam, it begins to be late, and it is Saturday evening, and Mrs. Lovegood and the children will be anxious to see me as soon as may be.

Mrs. Wor. But Sir, we will send word to Mrs. Lovegood that you are returned safe, though we would not wish to detain you long, while you give us a short detail of the result of your journey.

Loveg. Well, then Mr. Henry, you must assist me. if I omit any circumstances which are material.

Hen. Sir, I dare say you will remember most of them-I never shall forget what I have seen. If it had not been for the grace of God, William Frolic and I, who have been such sinners together, might have been hanged together on that very day on which Sam Blood was called to suffer.

Mrs. Wor. [To Mrs Merryman.] My dear, won't the story be too much for you, as your spirits are so weak?

Mrs. Mer. Oh my dear Mr. Merryman! how he

used to say he always aimed at the worst first, because he was once so thoughtless himself: I think I shall be able to bear the story, and I beg it may not be shortened on my account.

Loveg. Why Madam, there was a deal of mercy intermixed with judgment: I hope the hearing of it may not be too much for you, though altogether, it has been almost too much for me.

Wor. How long was it, after you set out, before you reached Mr. Lovely?

Loveg. Not till near two o'clock. Those cross roads you know, run bad, and it is too far for one stage, so that we were obliged to bait, or the poor horses would have suffered exceedingly.

Wor. And how did you find the dear creatures ? Laveg. Oh Sir! we were almost as much overcome with joy when there, as we were afterwards with grief and suspense. Dear Mrs. Lovely was brought to bed of a fine boy the very day before we went. It seems this event took place rather sooner than was expected, though the mother and the child, are both in a fair way to do well. The dear young man was so overcome by this mercy, that he could do nothing but weep for joy.

Mrs. Wor. Why I told her when she was in the family way, that I had no doubt but she would do well, as her mind was so much more at rest since their marriage.

Hen. But oh the joy of the neighbourhood on this event! It is amazing how much they are both beloved.

Wor. And not without cause. His very natural disposition, prompts him to every thing that is kind; and since he has been blessed with the grace of God, and has been possessed of his old uncle's property, he has both the will and the power, to do almost all the good his heart could wish.-In this instance it has been thoroughly verified, that "the wealth of the sinner, has been laid up for the just."

Loveg. But this joyful event in Mr. Lovely's fa

mily, had nearly been attended with very fatal consequences to the unhappy youths; for Mr. Lovely, supposed at first, that we were only come on a congratulatory visit, on the birth of his son; though he was surprised how we could have heard of the news so soon; and it was sometime before we could interrupt him with our message, he was so overcome with joy.

Mrs. Wor. Certainly it was a hard request, to ask the dear young man, at such an early stage of his wife's delivery, to leave her so soon.

Loveg. Oh Sir, his attachment to his dear wife and child, is beyond description, as you may naturally suppose from his most amiable disposition. And after we had told him our errand, and shewed him the petition to the judge, you may easily guess what a struggle his mind was in. Every quarter of an hour he was enquiring after, or repeating his visits to his dearest Ann, and the little one; and to think of such a sudden and hasty separation, though but for a day or two, perplexed him exceedingly.

Wor. You really had a difficulty to surmount, how did you accomplish it?

Loveg. Yes Sir; and besides this, he had another difficulty before him. An express was sent him but the day before, informing him of the dangerous illness of his rich uncle, and was in hourly expectation to hear of his death; but notwithstanding all, he immediately expressed his willingness to be the intercessor for these poor creatures; and however painful, even an hour's absence from Mrs. Lovely might now be, yet as she appeared so well, and as life or death depended on the journey, he was determined to undertake it: the only remaining difficulty was, how to open matters to her, so as to create the least possible pain, or anxiety on her mind.

Wor. And how did you contrive it?

Loveg. Why about half an hour after we had been in the house, after some conversation on these difficulties, he determined that I should be introduced

into Mrs. Lovely's chamber, and in the most gentle manner, open the business to her; making it my request, together with Mr. Henry Littleworth's, that he might be spared but for two or three days at furthest, to petition for the lives of these poor creatures. Mrs. Mer. I hope the story was not too much for her.

Loveg. She was almost as much affected at my unexpected visit, as she was at hearing my story; but directly as she heard it, she was as desirous as we could be, that Mr. Lovely should immediately undertake the journey, and addressed him in such language, as was very affecting and kind.

Mrs. Wor. I suppose she would. Both their minds are admirably calculated for each other.

Loveg. When Mr. Lovely expressed his sorrow at the thoughts of leaving her, even for so short a time, and how grieved he should be, if any thing should happen during his short absence: her language was, "Ono, my dear George, you and I have given ourselves up a thousand times into the hands of our most merciful God. I have a number of good friends around me; I shall want for nothing while you are absent. I know it would almost break your heart, were any thing to keep you back from saving the lives of these poor creatures: I know your disposition so well, that it would be the cruellest thing to prevent you. Oh no, no! go my dear George, go directly, go if it were only for the sake of good old farmer Littleworth; such a trial is enough to break his very heart you and I know what it was once to be under very sharp trials ourselves; and we make ourselves happy, only as we make others happy in return."

Wor. What a kind amiable creature she is!

Mrs. Wor. It must have been very affecting, to see with what meekness she submitted to the call, while she was lying on her bed with her babe by her side, and her affectionate husband ready to weep,even under this temporary separation, while still so anxious to