"But be sure," added she, "before you come again wash yourself quite clean, and comb your hair; for however poor you may be, there can be no necessity for uncleanliness

Thus did Almighty God provide a friend for me, remembering the virtues of my excellent parents; for as the holy Psalmist says, "Blessed is the man that feareth the "Lord; his seed shall be mighty upon

earth, the generation of the upright shall "be blessed. Surely he shall not be moved. "for ever; the righteous shall be had in everlasting remembrance. Ps. cxii. 1, 2, 6.

So did God in his mercy remember my parents; and when they were no more, he became a father to me, making me strong against those who thought to have tempted me to do wickedly, and blessing me with the hopes of eternal happiness.

Four days afterwards I went agair to Mrs. Neale's house; for Neale was the n ame of this good lady. When Mrs, Sarah saw that I had taken care to make myself c lean, she took me into a little room beside the kitchen, and taking off my old rags, she put on me an entire new suit of clothes, which good Mrs. Neale had caused to be made for me. My new gown was of purple stuff, and I had a nice blue apron, white tippet, and round cap.

When I was dressed, she took me by the hand into the parlour; and said, here, madam, is the little girl to whom you are so good.

The old lady got up from her chair; and having put on her spectacles, she looked at me for some time, and turning me round, said,

'Tis a nice little tidy girl to look at, I wish, Sarah, we could as soon put her soul in order as we have her body.

Ah! madam, answered Mrs. Sarah, that is not so easy a matter; there is no great difficulty in washing the outside of the cup, but it is an hard matter to cleanse the inside. Well, Sarah, said Mrs. Neale, but we will at least make the trial. I am told that this poor child has neither father nor mother: and it is a most blessed thing to be a father to the fatherless. Remember what will be said on the judgment-day to those who have clothed the naked, have fed the hungry, have visited the sick, and those that are in prison, "Come, ye blessed of my father,

inherit the kingdom prepared for you from "the foundation of the world. Matt. xxv. 34. Then looking in my face, little Susan, she said, should you like to go to school to learn to be good? Will you be content to leave off playing in the street, and will you give up your time to working and to reading;

Children who play in the streets with others,; learn to lie and to swear, and perhaps to steal. They grow up to be idle, bold, bad. men and women; and when they die, they go to a place where they live with devils in fire and brimstone, and chains and darkness. But holy children, who never lie, nor swear, nor steal; who pray to God, go to church, and learn to read and to work, become modest, industrious, honest men and women, and when they die go to heaven.

But I fear that I shall tire you with making my story too long. It is enough to say that good Mrs. Neale sent me to a very nice day school, and every Sunday I dined at my dear lady's house, and read to her in the bible after she came from church in the evening.

In a few months you would not have known me, to be the same child; I was be come so cleanly and mannerly in my outward appearance, and was so greatly improved in every thing that is good. I never played in the streets, but when I came from school, busied myself in cleaning my aunt's house, or in mending and washing our clothes.

My poor aunt was indeed, I am sorry to say, so very bad a woman, that it was very difficult to improve her; but I remember with pleasure, that after I became a better girl, she took less delght in bad company than she had formerly done: she smoked

and drank less; appeared cleaner in her person, and now and then went to church.

For four years Mrs. Neale continued to send me to school, and in that time I had learned to read very well, could do any kind of needle-work, and, by the means of Mrs. Sarah, knew a good deal of household business, of washing, ironing, and cooking in a plain way. But I had learned what was better than all this by means of my bible, and from going to church, and from the good counsel of my dear Mrs. Neale; I had learned what every one must do who wishes to go to heaven, and what they must avoid if they fear a place of torment after death.

When I was about the age of thirteen, my poor aunt died, and as I now had no home, Mrs. Neale took me entirely into her family, to wait upon her, and to assist Mrs. Sarah, who was getting past her work.

I lived in this family for more than two years; and these were the happiest years of my life. Not a day passed over my head, but I received some good instruction from my dear lady; and I endeavoured as much as lay in my power to profit by these instruc tions, and hourly to become wiser and better. At length it pleased God to take from me beloved Mrs. Neale, after an illness of a few days. She died at the great age of eighty-two. A few hours before her death,

my

she called me to her bed-side, and talked to me in such a way as I never can forget.

My dear Susan, she said, in a short time I shall be taken from this world, where I have endured many hard trials, and I trust, through God's mercy, shall go to that happy country where there is no sorrow nor crying.

Do not weep, my Susan, for I am going, through the merits of my redeemer, to the dear children and kind husband whom I have long lost, and in a few years, my child, I shall see you again. Only continue to be a good girl; remember the commandments of God; be not drawn aside from your duty by the wicked pleasures of this world; pleasures which endure only for a short season, and the end which is eternal torment.

She then told me, that knowing she must soon die, she had been long endeavouring to get a service for me, but that she had not succeeded; for people in general objected to me on account of my youth. But, added this good lady, I would not have you, my dear child, to seek your fortune when I am no more: I have provided a situation, in which I hope that you will improve yourself, and render yourself fit in a few years for a good service,

You know Mrs. Bennet, said she, who lives about two miles from the town, and gains a very comfortable living by washing