Page:The Castle of Wolfenbach - Parsons - 1854.djvu/193

 my brothers to school, raised a subcriptionsubcription [sic] for their support, his own fortune being insufficient to maintain us all, and in fine, did every thing a father and friend could do, for the whole family. Not one of my mother's former gay acquaintance ever concerned themselves about her; she was poor and afflicted with sickness, "they could not bear to see a woman they esteemed in so miserable a situation, and therefore were obliged to give her up." Oh! my dear lady, of all the worldly evils that can befal us, surely there is nothing so painful to support as the ingratitude and contumely of those who once thought themselves honoured in your acquaintance: mere butterflies of the day! they bask in the sunshine of your prosperity, but when night shuts in, and sorrows assail you, they fly elsewhere, in search of those sweets you can no longer afford them, and despise what they once coveted and admired. Young, at that time, almost a stranger to mankind, I felt indignation and astonishment when I met any of our former friends—friends! let me not profane the name of friendship! I mean intimates and companions; my civilities were repressed with scorn; my appearance glanced over with a look of contempt, and "poor souls, they are supported by charity, I pity them to my heart," said aloud in my hearing, with features expressive of every thing but pity.

"I will not dwell on things so common as ingratitude and hardness of heart; stings which you, my young friend, have never yet experienced,—heaven grant you never may, for 'tis a bitter cup to taste of. We lived in the manner I have described for near eight months, my poor mother so ill and helpless I could not leave her. The young gentleman I have mentioned paied me the same attention, and scrupled not to acquaint our good friend, it was his design, in a short time, to make me his wife. "If you do, (said he, one day) you shall have a father's blessing with her when I die; whilst I live I will support