misfortune. And I now moft feverely felt the truth of the adage, “That we never know the "value of what we poffefs, till we are made fenfible of it by its lofs."

As the landlord of the house in which my mother refided had promifed never to raise the rent whilft fhe or myself chofe to continue his tenant; and it was greatly under-let, 1 determined to keep it. Every thing my parent died possessed of having originated from me, I thought I had an undoubted right to whatever that might be; and my brother having refigned all pretenfions to her property, I thought it needlefs to take out letters of adminiftration.

I had invited a lady and her two daughters to be with me during my mother's illness; and fhe was fo kind as to continue her vifit, in order to keep me from the melancholy with which a mind fo fufceptible as mine must naturally be oppreffed. As my mother had always lived in the ftyle of a gentlewoman, I had her buried as fuch. Those about me endeavoured to perfuade me not to go to her funeral, but their remonftrances were in vain. As I had paid her every poffible attention while living, I was determined, coft what pangs it would, to pay the last tribute of duty by attending her remains to the grave.

I must

I must here obferve, that I cannot help thinking, but that perfons who pretend to fuch overnice feelings, as to be prevented thereby from paying thefe laft refpectful offices to a deceased relation or friend, fhew an unnatural and falfe delicacy. I confider them as an indifpenfible duty, and a debt of nature; and will venture to call an omiffion of them unpardonable affectation. Elfé, why should those of the lower ranks be deprived of that extreme fufceptibility. Dame Nature being their guide, fhe conducts them, with decent forrow, to the grave of those they loved whilst living.

Now prepare yourself to hear another of thofe unexpected and ill-natured strokes of fortune, with which fhe has frequently belaboured me. So quick is generally the tranfition, that fhe might be faid to give with one hand, and immediately to rob me of the newly-poffeffed gift with the other. As if the fickle Goddefs had determined, that I fhould never retain the poffeffion of any property, let it be thrown into my lap by her from whatever quarter it would.

My vifitor, Mrs. Butler, and myself, were fitting together in converfation one evening, foon after the death of my mother, when a loud and

As fuch an

violent rap at the door alarmed us. incident was unufual, I ordered the fervant not to open the door, but to enquire what occafioned it from the area. Upon her going out for that purpofe, fhe was informed, that if fhe did not immediately open the door, it would be broke open, as they had got the broad feal. Not knowing what was meant by having the broad seal, I demanded from the window their bufinefs. To this they anfwered, that I fhould be informed when they were let in; and if that was not done prefently, they had authority to break open the door.

Finding there was no probability of preventing their entrance, I ordered the door to be opened; when five or fix fellows rufhed in, and took poffeffion, in the name of that honour to his honou rable profeffion, my Coufin Crawford.

That worthy and confcientious man no fooner heard of my mother's death, and found that I had been fo imprudent as not to make any legal claim to her property, than he took out letters of administration, by fwearing himself her legitimate heir. Fearless of the iniquity of the measure, or the confequence of it, my honeft kinsman thought if he could but appropriate her effects to his own ufe, he would fet at defiance a future reckoning. He accordingly adopted this mode with fuccefs. I im

:

I immediately apply'd to the late Sir John Fielding, hoping he would point out fome mode of redrefs; and notwithstanding, I had not feen him for many years, his retentive faculties were fo nearly in their full force, that the moment I fpoke, he called me by my name, and was forry it was out of his line to affift me upon the occafion.

As it happened not to be term time, I had no refource but patience; for I found it to no manner of purpose to endeavour to bring the favages by which I was furrounded, to reafon. A fruitless altercation indeed took place, but they perfifted in my quitting the premises that night. It was by this time paft eleven o'clock; Mrs. Butler's children were in bed; and where to get a lodging at that late hour I knew not.. At last I thought of fending to Mr. Woodward, who had taken a large house in Leicester-street, in order to let part of it. That gentleman confented, with great chearfulnefs, to accommodate us till I could provide myfelf, though he was obliged to get out of his bed to receive us.

The next day I fent to inform Mr. Gordon, the undertaker that had depofited the remains of my much-loved mother, of what had happened, and defired him to look to the adminiftrator for

the expences of the funeral. He fent for anfwer, that as I had ordered the funeral, he should expect me to pay for it; that it was a very genteel one; and he defied any one of the trade to furnish one more elegant for fifty guineas, though he fhould only charge me forty-two. As Mr. Gordon was a neighbour, and my mother was fo greatly respected that numbers attended her manes without invitation, I was in hopes he would have been my friend upon the occafion, and have endeavoured to eafe me of that load; but no he chofe to be his own friend, and to fix the debt upon me, without giving himself any trouble.

What made this event more vexatious was, that the feven hundred pounds, owing by the Widow Lock to my mother, as already mentioned, was to have been paid the Wednesday following. In the confufion and fright I was in when I left the house, I forgot the papers relative to this debt. As they were placed in a china closet in the parlour, that they might be ready when wanted, the wretches who had taken poffeffion, probably thought them of no value, and had thrown them by as waste paper. So that all I got by the death of my dear mother, was a poor girl fhe Fecommended to my charge, and who became an additional