forgiveness of all my former follies and tranfgreffions; for although I have been abandoned and disobedient to your commands, I am now in great hopes that you will have the pleasure of faying by me, as the Prodigal's father faid by him, for this my child was dead,and is alive ; fe was loft and is found. I am now almost ready to think with the Pfalmift, that it is good for me that I have been in trouble, that I may learn the ftatutes of my Creator; for in this bleffed Asylum, I have the best opportunity I ever had of improving myself in the principles of religion, which is an advantage of a moft weighty importance. We have in this manfion two fermons preached every Sunday, and prayers twice a day in the week, befides private prayers read every night by our moft worthy matron and governess, whofe good example and economy have been of infinite fervice both to me and others ; and I make no doubt but that her conduct will prove to be of great help towards the converfion of many of us unhappy women. Here is in this houfe upwards of 130 unfortunate young women, the greatest part of which, fince they have been here, have had the good fuccefs of obtaining the pardon and reconciliation of their friends: but, for my part, I am quite forlorn and foríaken by you and all my relations; though indeed, when I look back on my paft ill-fpent life, I cannot help reflecting greatly on my own mifconduct, and I almost despair of ever been admitted any more into your favour. But when I confider that you are my father, it gives me encouragement to hope, that you will exert that affection to me, which is due from a parent to a child, tho' I own I am unworthy of the leaft of your favours, by reason that I have offended you in feveral respects C 3 refpects in the worst manner that a child could do; and I am fincerely forry for the fame, and I should be glad if it was in my power to call the time back, which is paft; but that is an impoflibility; therefore, all that remains now in my power to do, is to bewail my follies, and to be penitent and forrowful for my fins; which I am, from my very heart; and there is nothing wanting to compleat my happiness, but your pardon and forgiveness, without which I fhall be the most unhappy creature in the world: therefore I entreat you, my dear father, to take my cafe into confideration, as you are fenfible how uncertain a thing life is: think with yourself what a melancholy thing it would be if it should please God to take either of us out of the world before we are reconciled to each other; for I am very fenfible, that was I to hear of your death, it would prove of fatal confequence to me. I should not have refrained fo long from writing to you, but that about three months ago Mr. was here to fee me, and told me that he would write to you, and that he would call of me again as foon as he had received an answer from you: but I have not feen or heard any thing of him fince, which has given me an inexpreffible concern and uneafinefs; therefore I hope you will excufe my long filence, and not stile me ungrateful in not writing to you fooner. Pray be fo good as to communicate the contents of this letter to my dear aunt ; and at the fame time inform her, that these are the true fentiments of a reformed and contrite heart and I conclude with my prayers to the Almighty to inftil into your heart a fincere pardon and forgivenefs for all my former mifdoings and offences; which Pardon, when once obtained, will be the means of compleating my happiness in this world, and of giving me a fatisfactory and quiet mind to prepare myself for the world world to come. I fhould be extremely glad if you would fend fome perfon of reputation to fee me, and to inspect into my character; and I hope my prefent and future behaviour will encourage you once more to contract a correfpondence with your only child. And I remain between hopes and de pair, with my most fubmiffive duty and my aunt, to you Your much reformed, truly penitent P. S. I hope you will not make any delay in writing to me, as I fhall not be eafy until I have heard from you. Madam, LETTER V. From C. to a Frien!. Mboldened by the kind notice you was pleas'd to take of me, when Mrs. favoured me laft with a vifit, I venture to attempt a task I am much unworthy to perform, that of paying my refpects to you. When I reflect how great the contrast between the perfon wrote to, and the unworthy writer, it fills me with horror; I could wish to bury in everlasting oblivion my paft unhappy year, and dedicate my future to atone, if poffible, for the ills my unhappy conduct has occafioned in my family, in giving so much pain unto my near and dear relatives; which is the refolution of a heart truly fenfible (I hope I may fay) of my past errors. But words are too faint to exprefs the praise the Gentleman deferves who was the firft author of this retirement, for protection of the unhappy. I have a great favour to beg of you, which is to intercede for me to calm the angry brow of that friend to whose care my dear child is intrufted, and beg it as the greatest boon they can grant me, to fuffer me to be acquainted, by your means, how the dear little innocent does; that would greatly add to my content in this voluntary retirement; I know, dear Madam, one of your good sense is not at a loss to judge of the tender ties of nature; therefore, oh madam, think what I muft feel in my recollected hour !-But I muft quit this fubject, finding myself unequal to the task, and all the unhappy mother is rifing in my heart. It is you must speak my fentiments, and breathe for me my fighs, in hopes to foften. I hope, dear Madam, you will ́favour me with an answer; but I don't dare to dispute your goodness, and beg you will accept me as one who will, with God's grace, ftudy to be all you can wish me to be in my future conduct, and beg leave to fubfcribe myfelf, Your moft obedient and Obliged humble Servant, LETTER VI. From M. to the Treafurer, on her dijmission, being received home by her Mother, Honoured Sir, Having frequently experienced your good nature, I flatter myself you'll pardon this intrusion, when I affure you, it is with the highest sense of gratitude I return you my moft fincere thanks for the many favours I have received through your exemplary goodness, and the kind indulgence of all my worthy benefactors, during two years feclufion from the world which has been the happy means of bringing me to a reconciliation with my ever honoured Mother, and to a just state of mind, and a true sense of my duty to my too much offended God, for which I am át a lofs for words to pay back the gratitude I owe you. All I can fay is, may the all gracious God grant you a long continuance of happy years, and when you quit the ftage of this mortal life, may your foul enter into a happy blissful eternity: which will always be the conftant prayers of, honoured Sir, Your much obliged, and ever dutiful From the Brother of one of the Women. To the worthy Treasurer, Governors, and Matron of the T Magdalen-Houfe in Goadman's Fields. The humble and fincere thanks of addressed. are hereby Hanks are the only return he can make you, and prayers for your present and everlasting felicity; thefe, fo long as he lives, will be offered to, and for you. You have been, I humbly truft, the beneficent inftruments of preferving a Sifter of mine from eternal ruin ; I dwell not upon the deplorable fituation she was reduced to, with regard to this life, tho' when fhe folicited the favour of your protection, nothing furely could be more miferable; pardon a brother's filence on that head, whose foul once covered with fhame, now rejoices, that by your goodness, Gentlemen, and the care, pains and tenderness of you, Madam, he can view a fifter with fuch delight, as did the father his diftreft returning prodigal : she is now restored (I pray heaven the conviction may be real, and its influence lafting) to a sense of her past mifery, a thankfulness of heart to you and heaven, to the affection of her friends, and may, thro' divine grace, become an useful member of society, an honour to that inftitution, by which fhe has been reclaimed, and (God grant it) an inhabitant of heaven. I am, with the deepeft fenfe of gratitude, Gentlemen and Madam, Your most obliged and TH moft obedient servant. LETTER ९ From to her Husband. HE task I am going to attempt is fo difficult, that with trembling heart and pen I begin, well knowing how justly I have deferved your displeasure; but beg |