Page:The Adventures of David Simple (1904).djvu/221

 laying open our starving condition to her would be the means of being turned out of doors; and yet, desperate as this remedy appeared, I was forced to [ venture at it. I therefore called her up, and begged her to give something to relieve the poor wretch whom she saw sick in bed; for that I was in the utmost distress to get some food for him. She fell a-scolding at me and said she wondered how I could think poor people could live, and pay their rent, if such as I took their lodgings, and hedhad [sic] nothing to pay for them; why did not I work as well as other people, if I had no other means of supporting myself? Sure! she did not understand I what people meant by setting up for gentlefolks. I I told her, if she would be so good to get me any employment, I would work my fingers to the bone to pay her what I owed her, and only begged her to give me something for my present support. 'Yes,' answered she, 'that is a likely matter truly! then I should have the work to answer for, and be still a greater loser; for I don't know who would trust anything in the hands of beggars.'" "Good God!" said David, "have I lived under the same roof with such a monster, a creature who could be so barbarous as to upbraid instead of assisting her fellow-creatures, when drove to such a height of misery?" "Alas, sir!" said Camilla, "there is no situation so deplorable, no condition so much to be pitied, as that of a gentlewoman in real poverty. I mean by real poverty, not having sufficient to procure us necessaries; for good sense will teach people to moderate their desires, and lessen their way of living, and yet be content. Birth, family, and education, become misfortunes when we cannot attain some means of supporting ourselves in the station they throw us into; our friends and former acquaintance look on it as a disgrace to own us. In