abroad, was robbed of all his fortune. He now for ever look'd on the lovely Eliza with pain. "Canft thou ftill love the man who has reduced thee to poverty?-Indeed, thou canft! " said he, preffing her hand with all imaginable tendernefs. "Heaven knows I have not brought my misfortunes on myself."-we muft not repine, and yet fo lovely a family—at which time he cast his eyes on his little rogues, who were playing on the carpet, and then on his Eliza. He faw the tear flow down her cheek, and wept. Whatever she could fuggeft to give him eafe, fhe fpoke with all the tenderness imaginable. "We will not weep, then, my Eliza; perhaps we may yet know happier hours." The attention of the little ones was drawn by their tears. One asked the mother why The wept; and another, with inquifitive love, why papa cried. Eraftus kiffed them; faid he would weep no more; bade them be good and Heaven. would bless them.

Thus paffed their hours till his affairs were setled, when he paid to the utmost whatever he owed to mankind. Such was his character, that many offered him money; which he declined, as he had already found that industry could not infure fuccefs. By others he was advised to go abroad, and look into the affairs of the houfe by the bankrupt

cy

cy of which he had fo confiderably fuffered. This he refolved on. When he told his intention to Eliza, fhe wept at the thoughts of parting; fhe dreaded the danger he would be exposed to more than poverty itself, and would not liften to him, unlefs he would confent to her accompanying him on the voyage. "Alas! thou beft of women, you forget your condition; Eliza cannot think that any thing but the hopes of bettering our fortunes could prevail on me to leave her. Were I to wait till the time was paft when you might accompany me without hazarding your life, the delay might be dangerous; even then thy tender limbs could but poorly endure the fatigue. I go, that Eliza, her little ones, and that infant which will foon claim its fhare of my affection, may never taste the bitter cup of poverty. The little remainder of our fortunes I will leave with thee; if that should be exhaufted, which heaven forbid, before I am enabled to congratulate thee on our happier circumftances, furely even then thou couldeft not know the mifery of abfolute want! Thy Erastus still has friends; I have been unfortunate, my Eliza, but not base."

By arguments of this kind he prevailed on her to acquiefce in his defign. Support yourself in my absence, faid he; we fhall not long labour under Bb 2 misfortunes

misfortunes we have not deferved. If any thing advantageous should happen to fix me abroad, will Eliza follow me?" Will! how can Eraftus doubt it!" faid the lovely wife: "with you no climate can be difpleafing; without you no circumstances can make me happy."-"Thou dear, dear woman! faid he, clafping her in his arms, how have I deferved thy love!"

At length the time came which was to feparate them from each other; no words can exprefs the pain they felt at parting: Eraftus, who had, without knowing it, fupported himself by endeavouring to fupport his Eliza, wept when he embraced the best of wives. The tears choaked his voice, when he told his little ones to be dutiful to their mother. At the last embrace he would have spoke, but found the efforts vain; he gazed on her a few moments with a look which may be much eafier conceived than described, and filent left her in all the grief a human breast can know,

tus.

Eliza now retired to one of the environs, where her thoughts were generally employed upon ErafSometimes when they had wandered from their ufual fubject, they were recalled to it by one of the little ones afking where papa was. Upon which she could not help pointing out the distant

hills, and faying that he was a thousand times more diftant than they were; an idea but feldom awak'd without producing tears.

Happily for her, fhe received a letter from him with affurances of his welfare, at a time when she most wanted confolation; and fome months after came to her hands the following:

MY DEAREST ELIZA,

You will naturally believe I write this with the utmoft joy, fince I can inform you, my deareft wife, that I am now fettled in fuch a way, as will foon make up for our late ill fortune. A more particular account I referve till I am happy in thy converfation. I have fent a bill, though I cannot fuppofe you want it, that nothing may poffibly detain you from my arms. Hafte to a Hufband, who loves you better than himself; and I believe that abfence has made you dearer to him than

ever.

Eliza no fooner received this welcome letter, than fhe began to prepare for her departure; by the first veffel therefore that was ready fhe fet fail, and took with her a female fervant to affift her in the care of the children. She found no other,

fcarce indeed so many inconveniences as fhe expected; which arofe from the humanity of the cap

tain, who, unlike moft of his brethren, compaffionated the inconveniences which attend those who are unaccustomed to the fea.

The wifhed-for fhore was now in view, and Eliza's heart exulted at the thoughts of her approaching happiness. Scarce however was fhe landed, before her fpirits funk at the appearance of a funeral which paffed by her. Her ill-boding fancy immediately fuggefted to her, that it might poffibly be her husband; fhe could not avoid inquiring who it was, when fhe heard that it was a ftranger whofe name was Eraftus. The colour left her cheek; fhe fainted in the arms of her maid, and recovering, found herself in the houfe of a ftranger whofe hofpitality was awakened by the appearance of her diftrefs. Was it for this' faid fhe,

I passed the danger of the fea? Unhappy woman in having efcaped its perils! Alas, I promised myfelf fome years of uninterrupted happiness! Good Heaven, my forrow will end but with my life!" Thus did the exclaim in broken fentences, till again fhe funk her fainting head, and found herself supported at her recovery by the hufband she imagined to be no more, at first she spoke to him with an incoherent wildnefs which indicated the disorder of her mind; till at length grown calmer, fhe faid-Was it delufion all! and do I