Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-05-22

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/ Rich. Com.
MEMOIRS OF MRS, FRY.
From Madame Adele Du Ih6u's History
/ of tie Quaker.s
Elizabeth Quincy, (now Mrs. Fry) the
third daughter of Dir. John Quincy, OF
Earlham Hall, in the county OF Norfolk,
was born in 1880 she had the misfortune
to lose her mother when very young and
was thus, at an early age, in some mea-
sure abandoned to her own guidance
Her father, though member OF the So
ciety of Friends, was by no means strict'
and suffered his children to enjoy greater
freedom than is usually permitted among
individuals of that sect. EEZabeth Uuf-
ney was accustomed to mix much with
society, and she enjoyed all the advantages
of birth, fortune and education: she was
about seventeen years of age, when she
first visited London; was anxious TO see
every thing, and having participated for
period in all the gay amusements OF the
capital, she returned to Norfolk. A short
time after her return some members OF
the Society, las is customary among. the
Friends,) came to Earlham to make a
family visit. This suddenly wrought
transformation in the habits of the whole
family; all became more serious, and
seemed to feel the influence OF the holy
visit; Elizabeth, in particular, was deep
ly penetrated by the evangelical lectures
which she had heard. In mind like hers,
religious impression was not likely to
be transitory, too pious, and too well IN
formed, to confne herself to useless forms
of devotion, she proved her faith by her
Iabors, and soon prevailed on her father
to convert one of the apartments OF Earl
ham Hall into school room. Here she
daily received four and twenty poor chill
dren, to whom she read and explained the
Bible. She assumed the simple garb of
the Quakers, and renowned all kinds OF
amusement.
In 1900, she married Mr.. Fry, whose
amiable and generous character fully JUS
titles her choice. Far from opposing her
benevolent labors, he facilitates them, and
affords her ample means of relieving the
unfortunate by annually placing at her
plies entirely to the benefit of the poor.
Mrs. Fry's life is devoted to acts of vir-
tue, and her time is almost wholly occu-
pied in charitable missions. She makes
no distinction; the unfortunate are bro
theirs, whatever be the country or religi-
on; sorrow is every where the same, and
benevolence should be universal. Mrs.
Fry is at once physician, to the body
and the soul; she comforts and feeds the
poor, and supplies them with clothes and
with bibles; and thus she explains and
teaches the gospel. She even administers
succort to criminals she regards vice mere
ly as disease, and never withholds as
sistance from the sick.
Mrs Fry, ON being informed of the
deplorabie state of the female prisoners
in Newgate, resolved to relieve them. -
She applied to the Governor for leave of
admittance he replied, that she would
incur the greatest risk in visiting that "a
bode of iniquity and disorder, which he
himself scarcely dare to enter; he observ-
ed that the language she must hear would /,
inevitably disgust her, and made use of
every argument to prevail on her to relin- |
quish her intention. Mrs. Fry said she
was fully aware of the danger to which !
she exposed herself and repeated her So !
licitations for permission to enter the pri-
son. The governor advised her not to
carry in with her either her purse OF her
watch, and Mrs. Fry replied-"l thank
you: am not afarid; don't think shall
lose any thing" She was shown into an
apartment that contained about one hun
dred and sixty women, those who were
condemned, and those who had not been
tried, were all suffered to associate toge-
Their. The children who were brought up
in this school of vice, and who never
spoke without uttering an oath, added to
the horror of the picture. The prison
trs eat, cooked their victuals, and slept,
all in the same room; it might have been
truly said, that Newgate prison resem-
bled a den of savages. Mrs Fry was not
discouraged, the grace of Godi infinite;
the true Christian never despairs. Inthe
spite of very DELEGATE state ofhealth she
persevered in her pious design. The wo-
men listened to her and gazed on her
with amazement: the pure and tranquil
expression of her beautiful countenance
speedily softened their ferocity. 1t has
been remarked, that if virtue could be
rendered visible, it would be impossible
to resist it's influence; and thus may be
explained the extraordinary ascendancy
which Mrs. Fry exercises over all whom
she approaches. Virtue has indeed be-
come visible, and has assumed the form
of this benevolent lady, who is the guide
Cd &C hon foilOxu- rnafuros