Page:Maria, or, The wanderer reclaim'd.pdf/22

Rh But unable to live without me, as my return, (after having given me over for loſt,) I ſuppoſe, rendered me dearer to her; —ſhe requeſted the gentleman, to permit me to come to her; and they, ever generous, and ever humane, kindly permitted me to do ſo, after I had been near eleven months in the houſe: which I left with regret, as the place of my reſtoration and recovery to all things deſirable: and I now live with my mother, ſtudious only to make her happy, and to wipe off all paſt ſtains, as much as I may, by the moſt exact diſcharge of every duty. While my conſtant endeavour is and ſhall be to inſtill into my poor unhappy child’s mind, ſuch principles of religion and virtue as I am well ſatisfied, would have preſerved me from the diſtreſs into which I fell, had I been ſo happy as to have known them before that fall.

EAUTY, tho’ the gift of heav’n,

How fatal to the fair!

Ye maids! attend to S tale,

And of her fate beware.

Sweet S, of her friends the boaſt,

A child of pious vows,

In youth to guilty love betray’d:

Sad ſource of all her woes!