the husbandman, and all the labours of agriculture; for though their voracity is great, yet they contaminate a much greater quantity than they devour, as their bite is poisonous to vegetables, and the marks of devastation may be traced for several succeeding seasons. As in times past, I can spell and put together pretty well; and I suppose you will not be prodigiously surprised at my opinion, too plainly expressed perhaps to please, that your penury in the Episcopal Protestant chapel was properly punished by the sprain, the spoiling of your superb spotted poplin, the purchase of which your papa prudently opposed, and by being deprived of your purse, pelf, pen, pencil, and pitcher. It was simple parsimony, depend upon it, though appearing to your penurious disposition prudence, that prevailed on you to pass the plate, on which pious poverty in patched apparel placed pence with pleasure. Peace be their portion in their pilgrimage! The path may be perchance at some periods painful, but happy must such pilgrims be. Being pressed for time, it is not in my power to prepare a reply to every part of your epistle; but as my brother Pedro is packing a parcel for Poplar, I present you with a pamphlet just printed, which appears to be perfectly appropriate, being one proof out of plenty which might be produced that a pound spared for the poor, or for the promulgation of the Gospel, may be amply compensated even in the present life. Hoping you will profit by the perusal, I remain, yours, &c., PATTY OPEN PRAISEWORTHY. The pamphlet presented to Penelope Pinchpoint: 66 "" MRS. PONTINE was an opulent lady, whose pity for the poor and for perishing Pagans did not spend itself in public or private prayers. Her compassion partly provided for many paupers; and among her pensioners was old Betty, to whom she paid sixpence per week. It is probable that this pious person had a small pittance from the parish; but I am not positive on this point. Mrs. Pontine was seized with a complaint which the apothecary apprehended would speedily put a period to her life; for she appeared pining away. Supposing her departure was near, she presented old Betty with a piece of gold, value one pound. But it * Connected with the fact recorded in this Alphabetical Amusement, I have pleasure in giving the worthy woman's usual name.-E. W. B. pleased Providence that death should not then approach. Mrs. Pontine's life was unexpectedly spared and she still paid the sixpence per week to this pious person, who preserved the pound as a providential supply for some peculiar time of need. Now it was old Betty's practice in a place of worship, not only to pray and praise with the people, but to part with her spare pence when the opportunity was presented, happy in thus helping to support the Preachers of the Gospel in her own place, or among the Pagans in distant parts. It was her prayer in public and private that the Gospel which made her happy might spread from pole to pole; and with spirit she promoted its propagation by every plan the simple poor can project. When persons went round the chapel with a plate, Betty punctually put a penny upon it, or two-pence if in comparative prosperity. It was her principle that piety implies compassion for the spiritually poor, and pity for people in deeper poverty than ourselves; so she persevered in parting with all the half-pence she could possibly spare. It once happened that old Betty heard a Preacher who had employed great part of his life in preaching to Pagans: he made a particularly powerful and pathetic appeal to the people present, imploring them to help in dispelling the spiritual darkness that still prevails in many parts of the world. So appalling was the picture he painted of the painful spectacles in their pagodas, and the perils of their perishing without repentance and pardon, that sympathy opened many a purse in the chapel. Betty felt perplexed, and thus she pondered: "It would be imprudent to impoverish myself for the purpose of pampering my appetite; it would be preposterous to spend my pound in procuring superior apparel. But people prophesy that provisions will be a great price in spring: now a pound would purchase plenty of potatoes and parsnips. My petticoat will soon be in pieces, and I shall want aprons and caps. Suppose my health should be impaired, and I should have the pleurisy again; if I part with this pound, who will provide me with pills, or powders, or paregoric, or syrup of poppies, or even a pitch-plaster? But," proceeded the poor woman, "is this a proper plea for keeping back what would probably dispel some particles of the spiritual darkness which the Preacher has just proved is still pervading the Pagan population? Shall I despair of support, if I please the supreme Being by helping to spread the pure Gospel, which is now interpreted into the speech of those oppressed perishing Pagans?" You will be surprised at old Betty's thus expressing her thoughts, and think it was impossible; but her father was a reputable printer, of superior mental powers, and he applied himself to the improvement of all who depended upon him. The Preacher had ceased to speak; and the person who presented the plate to the people, approached a pew near the pious woman. After wiping her eyes, she put her hand into her pocket, and produced the box in which the pound had long been preserved, and placed it on the plate between the two pennies she had previously proposed to give. While pursuing her homeward path, the happiest of the happy poor who had been worshipping in the chapel, and while repeating, with clasped hands. "The Lord my pasture shall prepare," Peter Peachey, a draper's apprentice, impetuously scampered past with his dog Pompey, and pushed Betty prostrate into a puddle, and her patten was broken against a scraper. "I protest," said the stripling, stopping and politely begging pardon, "I did not purposely push you. Your patten is broken by the scraper: accept a couple of shillings to purchase another pair." While he spoke, Peter Peachey was stooping to help the poor old woman, expecting her to expatiate on his impetuosity; but he was much pleased at her patient temper, (example is preferable to precept,) for she did not complain, though he perceived she was limping; and a palpitation of her poor heart was very apparent. The compassionate apprentice accompanied her home, opened the door of her apartment, pulled off her apron, which was dripping with water from the puddle, and hung it on a peg. Peeping into her pantry, he spied a piece of pickled pork and some pease-pudding, a present from Paul Plan, the carpenter, whose partner in life Betty had nursed in the small-pox. "Now," said Peter, "I must depart; for though puss is purring, my Pompey |
