The National Register.
London, England, 1816-12-02 00:00:00

PRICK 91d.

hibited the character of sullenness rather than of grief.
1 Her features were strong but r6gular, such as in youth
had probably Len beautiful in no ordinary dN :e, and
even now had much womanly expression in.'s 1 when
she spoke. All her nelishbours had long drew' xl and
abused her for Wing a witch ; and the ovappwws" with
whom she was compelled to have interit .., had
brought ea unusual degree of fealino• or char.';' the
,ih
execution of their otlice : no wonder, then; t a
stranger should be doubtfidly received. Thd.-simitor
began the cmver.ation by begging shelter, and peisent-
bt made some observations on the state of the 'hatch'
She said she had done with cc:lnfest, and did not wish
to be better 4. He asted if her neighbours were kind
to her ; her answer was, that she never would have
neighbours at any time, much lest now; she used to
be happy without them, and they could .not make her
happy now. He inquired if she could get sufficient
' food; yes, she said, she ate but little, and cared not
' what it was ; her clothing was supplied by the parish.
Did she never go out? But 'seldom, she made answer,
' because she did not choose to be asked qucations. The
stranger then said that, although she might dislike any
humeri company, she might, perhaps find some amuse-.
ment in keeping chicken; and he offered to set her up
with some, and with food to keep them. She replied
that she never more would take care of any living
thing; it was a kind offer, but sbe had her reasons fur
refusing it. The determined tune of her voice and het
manner compelled him to drop the conversation; and he
had too much humanity to touch on theimmediste mums
of her grief, Her notions of religion were too indis.
tinct to uffind her any relief; they had never been
cultivated,—and the fruit therefore was not to bail
found when it was vaulting. Nor was there any of that
pride which enables many to bear up against affliction:
it was vehement grief acting upon a strong mind and.
strong frame, unmixed, unsophisticated, unallevisted,---
and, for want of the most precious of all the Alstrigfityli
gifts to man, unalleviable. .She was at that dine
seventy-six, and in such bodily health and strength, that
she seemed likely long to continue in this awful state.
This ease is the more impressive, because the subject
possessed no ordinary strength of heart, and noortlinary
capacity of virtue, else shame would not have wrought
on her so strongly in Isar youth, nor her affections la"
retained such intensity in age. The mere absence a
religion caused this excess of misery. Morefrightful
instances might be related where this want dreligion
is combined with moral depravity: One of those
wretched women who.infert the streets of London, wag
carried to a hospital. some menthe ego, dying under
the effects.-of poison which she bad accidentally taken;
L some of the last words she uttered were, that'this waif
Id blasted world,. and.she eared not how,soon she were
out of it! • _

" There will be loit members under any.specnt,oi
society : but if any be lost for want ofcompetent instruce
tion, the fault is valve in the society than in the ileitis.
victual,—and to whom shall the guilt be imputed?
Wien we have stated upon the authority of Parliament,
that there are above 130,000 children in London, whet
are at this time without the means of education, ea
that there are faun three to four thousand who are Ise
out to beggars, and trainekup in dishonesty ;--evols
this only represents a part of the evil ;—.if the citildres
are without education, the parents are without religion
—in the metropolis of this enlightened nation the chord;
to which they should belong has provided for them no
places of worship ; and two thirds of the lower or.
dor of 'ample in London; Sir Morons Bernard says
live as utterly ignorant of the doctrine.tand dities.4
Christianity, and are as errant sad unconverted pagans,
as if they had existed in the wildest part of Africa.'
The case is the nine in Manchester,
Sheffield, and in all our large towns; the greatest pert
of the manufacturing populace, of the minors and col-
liers, are in the -same condition,
_end if they are not
universally so, it is more owing to the seal of the May
thodists, than any ether am&
Tim Chancellor of dr Bzobsqua• has intimaaad (*hat this
paper was Propariaii) that another session will not psis over withemr
mauls bang taken for • in some degree..the &middens
want at Churches in the • But it is bet in Laotian only
that the population has antgrown the esmblishmast. it amiatr! by
Mr. nleionan's Tables that lb, population of England aid Waits
has ow* Ansbkd be lie bit Ingadrot yearn; and the tat years
which isbormiti between die envaarraisa at 11101 and 1811, show
.11M7.063, being *boot I_ll wenn. Since the Rees.
mum it bee sever been complained Mat Ma clergy wart two name.
' rasethr diode, which they bad to perform ; their numlscrs, honorer.
liasu set mascara. white ebc poptertion has thiu tiouhlod upm them;
tho bat anode of rendering what they do mote ellecuve. and of CA-
Igibein to do mom is bi prepra mod
g the tieing galtpitian,—!ty
uy ea .eater sad ?abeam" utibliaiaaaa 'Of
uli
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