was this day discovered and restored to his parents.

My God, my Chrift, the exclaimed, what a wonder is here! How are blind and erring mortals, wilfully blind and wilfully erring, de ferving of fuch a clue as this to guide them? My nephew alive and well, difcovered and reftored this very day to his true parents!--I am confounded, I am crushed to the centre beneath the weight of thy benefits, O, thou overflowing Foun tain of mercy and grace!

Now, madam, faid Mr Fenton, now it is at your election to reveal or fupprefs the affair respecting your nephew. know, Sir, the replied, you proposed this only to try me; I defire no advantage from fraud or difguife, and could I be so base, this letter, as you will find, would detect and betray me.

Mr. Fenton, then unfolded the letter, and read as follows:.

TO EDWARD FIELDING, Efq;

Friend and brother of my foul,

« I have often reproved, and always "detefted, that cruel and impious custom ❝ of cafting off: our friends, or kindred, ❝ on account of their errors or frailty, 34 or even, of their fall from honour. 56 This

This cuftom is more especially con"demnable and pernicious, when it af

fects the more tender and more pitiable fex: the indifcretion of their nearest "friends begins the alarm; the world "follows, and increases the cry; the "wretches, like marked deer, are driven "forth to the hounds, and must speedily "become a prey to famine and death, or for ever be precluded from any return. ❝ to virtue.

"Had you, my dear brother, had you "given that charity to your only fifter which you flightly throw to a common "beggar, you might have faved her foul ❝ alive, and have continued a happy pa

rent of a promifing fon at this day. "She refented your treatment, she rent "your child from you; you merited the "motive, but I am grieved at the con-"fequence.

"As God has been pleafed wonder "fully to restore your filter to virtue, "fhe would rejoice to reftore your fon "to you; but it is not in her power; he

frayed from her within fome miles of "this place: we have used all poffible: "means to recover him, but in vain; and ❝his lofs hath coft her feas of tears, and 66 years of anguish.

66. Receive

"Receive her, then, as a precious pearl "from the bottom of the deep, as a "cafket of gold and jewels recovered "from fhipwreck. She was dead, but is "alive again; fhe was loft, but is found, "Receive her then, I fay, as an angel of "God, fent on purpule to effect your ❝own falvation.

"I know not how it comes to pass that "great finners often become the greatest "of faints; and, in a year, a month, a "day, exceed in growth and ftature a

long life of leifurely righteousness. "Their bows, as it fhould feem, being "ftrongly bent the adverfe way, they "dart forward with the greater ftrength ❝and rapidity. It is even fo with our "precious Phæbe. She is become a gen❝tle flame of the divine loves and chari

ties. While fhe ftands upon earth, and "bends, in her lowlinefs, beneath all "creatures, the moon of changeable

things is put under her feet. She treads, "as it were, upon the ftars of the galaxy; "and I behold, at a distance, and revere "the glory of her steps.

"Receive her then, 1 fay again, as the "dearest boon and bleffing that Heaven " can beftow. But, O, ieftore her to "me; give her to me, according to pro

"mife,

"mife, that the may affift to conduct me "to that kingdom of little children, "whereof the is a bleffed inhabitant at "this very day.

"Yours, &c.

M. CATHARINES."

You fee, Sir, faid Mrs Phæbe smiling, you fee that Mr Catharines must be a lover, by the extravagance of his praise. I fee, madam, faid Mr Fenton, that he defervedly loves; and greatly deferves alfo to be beloved. But, madam, if you will be ruled by my advice, you will ftay here till your brother fhall call upon me, which I expect he will do in a very little time. Meanwhile I will introduce you to a fifter faint, who has been long tried and refined in the hotteft furnace of affliction.

The very next morning Mr Fielding rode to the door attended only by a single fervant. As foon as he had falu ed Mr Fenton, and fat down, he took out a note for 2000l. and prefented it to him. You must not refufe, Sir, faid he, to relieve my diftrefs, by accepting this in part of what I owe you. I can fpare it, without the fmalleft inconvenience. I have lately recovered a track of land that lies contigu

ous

ous to Mr. Catharines, the worthy man of whom you heard me fpeak yesterday; fo that I fhall foon have the pleasure of taking poffeffion of a confiderable acceffion to my fortune, and, at the fame time, the greater pleasure of embracing fo very dear a friend. This fum, Sir, faid Mr Fenton, comes very feasonably to the relief of a perfon, for whom I have conceived an extraordinary efteem and affection; a perfon who is entitled to my beft fervice, and who may also be entitled to your further munificence. So faying, Mr Fenton rofe, went to the door, took Mrs Phæbe by the hand, and leading her toward her brother, This, Sir, faid he, is the gentlewoman of whom I fpoke, and whom I recommend to your tenderelt regards.

Mr Fielding looked earnestly and inquifitively at his fitter, changed colour, and, for a while, fat mute with aftonishment; when, fuddenly rifing, and stepping haftily to her, he claiped her in his arms, and cried aloud, My Phæve, my deareft Phæbe, my long loft, long fought, long lamented lifter! have I found you at laft? are my prayers at length heard? and are you once more reftored to my bofom, my filter? Ah, what muft have been your fufferings, what have I not fuffered myself, from the ftinging recollection of the barbarity