The National Register.
London, England, 1822-06-09 00:00:00

VICISSITUDES OF HALF A GUINEA.

••=••11Mw

My new waster was a bookseller, a bustling enter.
prizing man, won had great pleasure in gaiuiug tioniev,
but, to do him justice, tie made an excellent us, of
He was particularly liberal to authors, an instance of
which I saw one mooning after I came into his posses.
soon. A young and very lovely woman entered his
shop, and advancing with a timid air, asked if he had
looked at her manuscript. " I have, matlaui," replied
he, " and I think it has merit; but I am sorry to say,
that there are so many chances in publishing things of
this nature, that 1 can afford to give but a small sum for
it. You have not, 1 think, named a price." Site re-
plied in the negative.—t\ hat sum do gnu expect? " I
scarcely know what to ask ; 1 have told you, sir, it is a
first work,and it was written--" Shiv paused and burst
into tears, but almost immediately recovering herself,
she added with dignity, " Why should I be ashamed to
acknowledge tiie troth ? It was written with the hope
of procuring ail immediate supply fur my necessities anti
those of a beloved child. Ignorant as 1 ant of business
cannot form a just idea of the value of my work. I
must therefore leave it to you, sir, to give me what you
think it fairly worth.
Deuce take the woman 1 thought my piaster; if she
knew how to bargain now, she would save me somi-
thing ? but what can 1 du with a creature like this,
young, interesting—a child too?—This last reflection
decided him as to the sutra, winch was in troth far
greater than the actual value oldie work. The pleasure
which sparkled in her (yes as she received it, and the
warmth with which she thanked him, sheaved that it
was more than she expected, and folding the gold, ui
which I formed a par., in the notes, she returned holly
No sootier was use door of her lodging tiptoed, than a
lovely girl, about five years old, hastened to meet her.--.
My mistress turned with the child into a parlour, and
clasping her in her arms, burst into tears Athighted at
the sight of her mother's emotion, the child clung round
her iteck in terror ; and ..t that moment a vulgar-looking
woman ()pencil Iht: door hi the apartusent, and entering
with an an in %void' defiance was mingled with a sort
of invulitniary ass e. " ma'am," cried she," if you
had taken lily advice, there would be no occasion for ail
this weeping and wailing; but it may not vet be too Lae;
perhaps 1 can prevail upon Sir Harry---"
" Talk to use no more of that detestable man I" cried
my unistiess, interrupting her." Heaven be praised your
power of tormenting me ou his account is at au ens: !
Bring me your bill."
Never was mortification and surprise more visible
than its the countenance of the WOlll3ll. She stood for a
moment as if tetr.fird, At last she stammered out,
a Why, as to the bill, I ant not in a hurry—l don't wish...-
" But I wish," cried my mutrcss, interrupting her, " in
pay it directly, that 1 may haslet' from a house where I
nave been so grossly insulted.
['he woman darted at her a glance of mingled race
and malice, and without replying, quitted the room,
shutting the door after her with great v:alence. My mils.
tress first reassured her affrighted littlegirl by the tenderest
caresses, and then hastened to prepare tea. But I should
vainly en.:,:avour to describe the delight with which she
sat down with her child to partake of this frugal meal, or
the gratitude with which her heart silently expanded to
Providencelkin the hope that a way was now opened by
which site might preserve herself and the lovely prattler
at her side from the horrors of want.
The tale of this young creature was a swiking instance
of the vicissitudes of fortune. She was an orphan, and
inherited a considerable property. A young merchant
paid his addresses to her ; site became attached to him,
and though his circumstances were not equal to her own,
she gave him her hand. Her husband offered to secure
the whole of her fortune oil herself, hut he would not
hear of it. " I will base nothing," said she, " reserved
from you ; whatever be your fortune 1 will share
Clayton represented to her the risk which every merchant
must run, but he spoke in vain. " If," said she, " you
were ruined, 1 could not in conscience and hollow enjui
a sum which ought to be the property of you creditors.'
Finding her thus resolute, he added her fortune to his
capital : his success was beyond his expectat'.urts ; in a
short tone his wealth was in iiii ride, and as his wile was
equally the object of his pride and his love, he took cure
that her estahltsliment should he splendid.—He delighted
in hearing it said that Mrs. Clayton's jewels, equipages.
&c. outshoot the first nobtlity. Tins magnificence was
slut consonant to the WiSile, or taste Or ills Harriet : her
pleasures were of a domestic nature; but she thought it
a duty to comply with his desire, and she found in the
excess of his liberality means to sidoy the only luxury
she coveted, that of doing good. Font years passed
rapidly, but in the beginning of the fifth. her Mistimed
rashly, madly 1 should rather say, plunged inn) a specu-
lation, the failure of which reduced hint to absolute beg-
gary, cud, in a parneysui of despair ar the ruin he had
brought on all that were mostdear to hint, he tarsaina.ed
his existence with his own hand.
Had the unfortunate widow beets in a situation to
take advice, or haul she pessessed any friend who knew
how to act, the creditors of her husband would Joust
less, wan that humanity which characterises British
merchants, have contributed to her support; but at toe
time Clayton's affairs were settled, she was extended on
a bed of sickness, with scarcely a prospect of recovery ;
Ind as her health returned, her sense of the cruel neg-
lect she had met with from those who had called them.
selves her friends, lelt her no other wish than to h
herself from them fur ever. For some lime she awnedide a

scanty maintenance by her needle, but i Limn% it prove
itisiillic.eut, she deiertni.ted to try whether the labour
m toe pen would not be more profitabla. However,
lietore she could succeed in disposing of her work she
was ooliged to go in arrears with her landlady: the sum
st as small, but as the woman was destitute of principle,
site availed hersiif of the circumstance to plead the cause
at a libertine of fashion, who was struck with Mrs.
Clayton's person. In vain did the unfortunate widow
spurn hi' dishonourable proposals, he continued to insult
lier with his licentious oilers. The thought that she
now hail it in her power to escape Isis importunities,added
to the relight winch the success of her work gave her—
si:e resolved to seek for another lodging in the morning;
ai alter she had put her little girt to bed, she sat down
to form plans for the future, with an alacrity of spirit to
which site had long been a stranger, when the door
opened, and Sir Harry entered. Site saw at a glance
that he was hall intoxicated, and Moulds terrified at a
freedom winch lie had never before presumed to take,
she had presence of mind enougn to conceal her alarm.
She ruse with apparent composure, and desired he would
leave her apartmetit. " Pray," cried he, with a scorn-
ful laugh, " What is the penalty, my pretty inflexible,
i. I don't chose to comply t You are about to rid your-
3elf of the' detestable man,' you know,' but at least you
shall first hear what he has to say." Grasping her hand,
Ise obliged her to sit down, and placing himself at her
side, he began to offer her what he called better terms,
intermingled with threats of vengeance if they were not
accepted. Irritated by her struggles to disengage herself
the brute threw his arms round her. She screamed in
terror, and the next moment an old man, very plainly
dressed, entered the room. Sir Harry quitted his des-
tilted prey, and advancing with a fierce air to the stran6er,
tend him to retire. " Not unless the lady wishes it,"
visited he coolly. " Ott, no nor exclaimed my mis-
tress," for Heaven's sake, sir, do not go!' The baronet
then changed his ground ; he declared that the lady was
his wife, but it:ducally for bin:, the maid servant who
admitted him ins the lady's absence, entered at that mo-
ment, and began clamorously to reproach hint with
breaking his promise to her, by insulting my mistress.—
Tws unexpected attack front his accomplice totally dis-
concerted him, and with a dreadful ex_cration upon her
and himself, he quitted the room.
My mistress, whose terror had by this time a little
subsided, warmly thanked the stranger. " You owe use
110 ack nowledgmen Ls, madam," replied he, drily : I found
the s.reet door ajar; my entrance was therefore easy; but
even if it had been otherwise, I could not disregard the
voice of a wotuan in distress. It I can be of any further
use to you command me; if not, I will take my leads."
Alter what has passed, sir," said Mrs.Claytuti, " I do
not dare to remain here ; could you but stay till 1 pay
this woman and remove my things, it would be indeed a
favour." Tne servant, on being sintinumed, declared
that her utistress was absent, but finding that Mrs.
Clayton persisted in goifig immediately, she offered to
fetch the landlady. When she quitted the room par
that purpose, the stranger asked LI mistress rather
abruptly, to what family of the Claytous she belonged.
Perceiving that she blushed and hesit.eed, lie added in a
sohet tone, " I did not IlWall to distress you, madam, by
an inquiry that you may not wish to answer, but mine
is nut an idle curiosity. Clayton, the merchant, of
whose mournful catastrophe sou must have heard. was
my nephew: I have been long absent Irons England,
and did toot return till after his death, but I find that he
has left a widow and a child—"—" Alt 1 yes," cried
Mrs. Clayton. bursting into tears, " 1 am that unfortu-
nate widow." The stranger seemed affected. " Had I
returned to England wooer," said he, " I might have
averted poor George's unhappy fate, as well as prevented
my own nun: but what, my dear child, is your actual
situation!" She answered him without reserve. He
shook his head at the sanguine hope she seemed to enter-
tain of her success as an author. " You have heard your
husband speak of me, too doubt," cried he: " I quitted
England before his birth, but for many years afterwards
I keit tup a correspondence with my family. It was my
:mention to return to Eng:and at a much earlier period,
but vatious circumstar ces occurred to prevent me : by
ocgrees I ceased to hear front my relations, but I did not
foreet them, and it was always my intention to return
at last, std share my fortune with them; but alas! an
ill-placed confidence has deprived me of that fur which
I have toiled so many years! I returned possessed as I
thought of immense property, but the viliain in whose
!sands I placed it has absconded, and I am literally a
beggar." " No," cried my mistress with vivacity,
" Heaven forbid that the only surviving relation of my
dear lost husband should be reduced to that abject state
while I can earn bread I Cheer up, uty dear uncle, let
us think that our meeting is not the effect of chance, but
the interposition of Providence for our mutual comfort :
he to me as a father, and receive me as your child."—
hut how, my dear generous girl, can 1 insixise the bur-
then of soy necessities—" " Talk not of that : fiont
this moment our fortunes are united. Sec" co:Hunted
she, spewing hem the money which the bookseller had
gmeto her," the greatest part of this is mine: are we not
tutu at present rich ehough, and shall we doubt that ere
this is exhausted, Provideuce will send us more r The
poor old man burst into tears of gratitude, but he checked
his emotions at the sight of the landlady, who now
entered with a most obsequious air. She declared that
she was totally ignorant of the vile attempt of Sir Harry,
and vowed that • he would neser again way a word in his
favour : however, when she found that my mistress per-
sisted in quitting the house, all her civility vanished, and
she was as insolent as she had been before fawning.—
A few minutes sufficed to settle her demand, and Mrs.
Clayton, making her little girl rise and dress, packed up
her slender wardrobe, and quitted the house in company
with her new-found uncle.
Site took refuge for the night at the lodging of a poor
woman who had been one of her under servants, and
who attended her with exemplary fidelity in all her mis-
fortunes. Mr. Clayton then quitted her with a promise
of coining earl, next day to go with her in search of an
appartmeut. fhe morniug, however, stole on without