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A Question.

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A QUESTION.

SIR,

S one purpose of

your enter

A raining mifcellany is to give an

fet her up in a milliner fhop, her fa- To the EDITOR of the LADY'S MAGAther gave 4 fcore pound with her for 5 yeares, her time is out, and the is not fixteen, as prity a black gentlewoman as ever you faw a little well bapd and as fine a complextion for red and white as ever I faw and I de not dout but yt yr ldp will be of the fame oppinon, fe defires to goe dowen about a mounth hence except I can provid for her which I cannot at prefent, her father was a minifter had 2 bandered a year by his benefitts, and my fifter had 2 hundered a yeare joynter for her life by her first huf

opportunity for the ingenious to dif play their talents, I am induced to mention a circumftance to you, which happened a few nights ago, in a comPany where I was prefent.

connected with it, fuch as charity, Jympathy, &c. The forrows of the opulent, the poor, the deferted, and the difeafed were fuccefively alluded to in our friendly debate, and a gentleman prefent propofed, as a further mine, what that deftrefs is, which fubject for converfation, to detercauses the greatest degree of fympathy in a feeling mind?

The company confitted of a mixture of both fexes, and the converband foe there is 4 children left difli-ture of diftrefs, and the fubjects fation accidentally turned on the natude, for if your lofp. think fit to make an apoyentmen where I fhall wait on you with my neece by a line or 2 I stay for the answer, for I have no place fitted up fince I left my bous fitt to entertane yr bonnor, I tould her yt the fhoud goe with me to Je a gentleman yt was a very good friend of mine foe I defire take no notice of my letter by reafon he ignorant of the ways of the torven, my lord I difire if you meet us to come a lone for upon my word and bonnor you are the first yt ever I mentioned her to foe I remaine yr Idfp moft humble fervant to comRachell Purfball.

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Various opinions were given; and we protracted our debate fo long, that although it was holiday feafon, any amusement ufual at that period we never once thought of cards, or of the year. Some were for one kind of distress, and fome for another, which they had accidentally been witnefs to. But, as we could not

I beg you to burn it when you then agree on the fubject, we refolved

red it."

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to communicate the question to you, that we might profit by the opinions and the talk of troubling you with of your numerous correfpondents, and the talk of troubling you with this letter devolved upon me.

ftated above, in Italics, will be fufI prefume that the queftion, as it is ficiently intelligible to your readers. We fee around us in the world various degrees of pain, forrow, diftrefs and mifery, and we are more affected by fome of them than by others. The question, therefore, is to determine, what kind of distress it is which calls forth our greatest fympathy and commiferation. It is a fubject

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fubject which, I am certain, if your
correfpondents will apply their minds
to it, may afford them fome know-
ledge of themselves, and, perhaps
tend to intereft many in certain dif-
treffes, which, from want of reflec-
tion, they have paffed lightly over.
I am, fir, yours,
A Conflant Reader.

A B. U D Ạ H;

W

A TALE.

becomes a crime? Far better w it to teach them, that happiness more certainly to be found by in plicitly obeying the laws and rul which have been inftituted for t good of fociety, than by followi the precarious guidance of a reafo too frequently corrupted and vi ated, and at the best incapable difpelling, on a fudden, the obfc rity in which the question of rig and wrong is neceffarily involve The down-hill path of error is fli pery, and whither it may precip tate us to, in a mement, is not to b known. But thou shalt not entangl me in the perplexed labyrinth of an gument and fophifiry:. learn wisdor from the fate of Abudah.

In the midst of a fertile plain through which the father of river pours the waters of abundance ftands a village, the inhabitants of which, unacquainted with the glare of cities and perfidy of courts, lead the fimple and innocent life which

HEN the calif Moawiyah held the fceptre of Egypt, there arofe in Cairo a profeffor of falfe knowledge, and teacher of paradox, The name of this fophift was Murad. One day, as he was difcourfing in his fchool, on his favourite topic, the nature of right and wrong, and obferving the difference between them, by the arts of falfe reafoning, invalidating, by his fubtlety, the force of all positive in-nature dictates. Among thefe, Abuftitutions, and conftituting the reafon of every one, the fupreme judge of the rule of life, without confider ing how often it may be tainted by prejudice, or render d partial by pation, the venerable Imaun Nou-proachable conduct held forth a raddin paffed by, and entering the hall of difputation, liftened to the fpecious gloffes with, which he amufed his fcholars; and, when he had concluded; thus addreffed him.

dah received the highest refpect and excited the warmest efteem from all to whom he was known, for his artlefs integrity and goodness of heart. His blameless character and irre

model to the imitation of all around him, and he was beloved by the old and admired by the young.

Eie the fun had yet gilt the fummits of the mountains, or the Tong O thou! who, by frivolous arts of the early birds proclaimed the and noxious cunning, endeavoureft new-born day, Abudah fer out on a to darken truths, the molt beneficialto journey; but, when the glorious lu the multitude, why fhouldeft thou minary had advanced high in the throw down the boundaries by which concave of heaven, and thot his dithey are confined in the paths of rect beams on his head, he grew happiness, and direct them to follow faint and thirty; and as he paffed on guides, which may lead them to un-his way, finding a pleasant arbour, certainty and vexation? Why difturned in to reft him in the flade. It cufs fo minutely the effential difference of errors, and why fet before their undiftinguifhing judgments the fame action in various lights, according to which, as thou fayeft, it fometimes is innocent, and fometimes

chunced, that in the arbour flood a veffel of that pernicious extract of the grape, which the prophet has, for wife reafons, forbidden to be taffed by the faithful. His thirft ftrongly tempted him to break the law; and

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to whom this mischief was principally to be imputed, called aloud for help, with piercing shrieks, and be

reafoning with himfelf, with fophiftry, fimilar to thine; O Murad, if, faid ahe, I should break this politive command, what evil confequences caning inflantly furrounded by her at

tendants, declared that the ruffian, who stood before them, after, in vain, attempting to violate her honour had murdered her lord, who flew to her refcue. Abudal, fhocked at her falfhood, and perceiving his deftruc tion inevitable, in an agony of defpair, feized the poinard, with which he had been attacked, and first stabbed her and then himself.

Thus did the man, who, till that moment had been an example of every virtue, by once fuffering himself to deviate from the laws he had been taught to honour, within the face of an hour, commit adultery, murder, and fuicide.

refult, where none are witneffes? even intoxication itself can produce no ill effects in this fequeftered place. Encouraged by this reflection, he proceeded to taste the inviting liquor, and took, cup after cup, till it produced its ufual powerful effects. And now, finding his ftrength renewed and his fpirits unufually elevated, he proceeded on his journey, and foon after arrived at a delightful garden, the door of which ftood open. Scarcely knowing what he did, from the influence of the wine, he entered, and paffed through feveral walks fhaded with spreading trees and ornamented with the fairest flowers, till he came to a fuperb fummer- The croud listened to the inftruc houfe, in which reclined a beauteous tions, which dropped from the vefemale, attired with every decoration nerable lips of the Imaun, and the that might allure and captivate; who, fophiftry of Murad was diffipated, as gazing on the ruddy complexion and the early vapours are difperfed by the cluffering locks of the youthful ftran-glorious rays of the riding fun. ger, and being herself devoted to wanton dalliance, ofed all the arts of love, to which he was no ftranger, to excite his paffion, and make him

A CAR D.

fenfible the was willing to gratify CJ. Pitt. prefents his compli

his ardour. ments to W. Edwy, acknowprudence, by banishing his reafon, ledges his politenefs in allowing him had removed far from him his guar- integrity of fentiment: he cannot dian angel, was foon caught by her help feeling regret that his papers on lure, and funk into her arms; but Mr. Pope's lines, fhould fubject him fcarcely had the tempeft of paffion to the charge of depreciating and infubfided before the lord of the man- fringing the refpect due to the fair fion, who was not fufpected to be fo fex: however he has the pleafure to near, walking in his garden, had reflect, that he has been acquitted of difcovered Abudab and all that had the charge, by a number of that fex, paffed. Enraged at the intrufion of which flamps the acquittal with the ftranger and the infidelity of his greater impartiality; and the lady, flave, he drew a poniard, and fud-from the nature of her office, (the denly rushed on the intoxicated Matron) ought to be equal to fuch a youth, who, fenfible of his danger, decifion. grafped his antagonist, and threw him to the ground with fuch force, that his head ftriking against a ftone, he expired on the fpot: and while Abudah, flood transfixed with amazement, at the deed he had done; the,

The conteft between them had long ago ceafed in the part of C. J. P. but for the above charge: unwilling therefore to engrois any farther part of this mifcellany, on the fubject, which might be appropriated

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to one more entertaining and agree able; and unambitious of the palm, where his task is that which must be repugnant to the feelings of any perfon of fenfibility, expofing the frailties of others, he shall decline offering any more animadverfions on the fubject: but retires from the field of controverfy, confcious of entertaining as profound a refpect for the female character, as his opponent or any other man exifling.

The CONTRAST.

(Concluded from Vol. XXI. p. 707.)

MA

and he was forry to find thing carried fo far, left the blame shoul be thrown upon him; he, there fore, ftrove to foothe her; but th more fubmiffive he became, th more compliance fhe demanded wit every idle with which came into he head, fo that at last he threw off al reftraint, and paying no regar either to her or her family, oppofe her in every thing, and fhe as po fitively thwarted and contradicted him; his houfe was, therefore, a perpetual scene of difcord and con fufion. Mrs. Smith foon made he mother acquainted with the illhumour of her husband, declaring, very freely, at the fame time, that if Louifa became happy with Marlow, the fhould actually die with envy and defpair. This declaration had all the effect the wished it to have on the gentle Louisa, who as freely declared fhe could never be happy if fhe was the cause of her fifter's being miferable. Marlow in vain told her, that, whether the bleffed him with her hand or not, he was certain that Maria was of too difcontented a temper to be fatis

ARIA, who had not married because he liked the man, foon became exceedingly difcontented with him; he was, indeed, not lefs fo with her, whofe temper he, in a very short time, found to be a very bad one; and the certainty of her fifter's going to be happy with Marlow, the man whom fe might have had, and who was, the well knew, of a difpofition to make any reasonable woman fatis-fied with any thing. fied, drove her almost to distraction. She became, of courfe, ten times more difagreeable in her manners than fhe naturally was. She found fault with every thing in her houfe, with her fervants, and particularly with her husband, who, not being of the most obliging difpofition, was fill more irritated by her behaviour than a milder man might have been. He foon made replies to her taunting fpeeches, in tones louder than thofe in which The delivered them; in confequence of fuch increafed animation on his fide, they were continually quarreling; fo that, at laft, María protefted nothing should make her live with fuch a monster for ill-humour, adding that he would go home to her mother.

"That may be," replied Louifa, "but let not we appear the cause of her diftrefs."

This determination alarmed him,

Mrs. Bowen was filent upon the occafion. She faw plainly that. Maria was in a fituation which required the gentleft treatment, and very much apprehended that her violent fpirits might be attended with the most dangerous confequences; the, therefore, did not oppofe Louifa's defire to retard her marriage; fe, however, endeavoured to adminifter confolation to Marlow, by telling him that the was fure her daughter would never break the promife he had given him, and that he was yet young enough..

With thefe confolations he was obliged to be contented, while Louifa fpent a great part of her

The Little Knowing One.

time trying to confort her fifter, who faw the was not yet married, and knowing also that Marlow was made unhappy by fuch a delay, fhe received all that kind of pleasure with which a malevolent difpofition is commonly gratified. In fhort, her envy, her jealoufy, and the merited neglect of the man whom fhe had married, affected her confi. derably in the weak state to which the was reduced, and fhe in a few months fell a victim to thofe paflions which he could not conquer, or, indeed, keep in a proper degree of fubjection. Then, and not till then could Louifa be prevailed upon to become the wife of Marlow, whom

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in them may be properly corrected before they grow too powerful to be kept under.

Mr. and Mrs. Counter were in the middle rank of life, and poffeffed" of a pretty, independent fortune. Mr. Counter had alfo a place under the government. They had a genteel fet of friends, as they called them, with whom they affociated in the prefent fafhionable mode of keeping company, that is to fay, they fpent their evenings most commonly at each other's houfes, and played cards almoft conftantly either at home or abroad. As this had been their custom ever fince their marriage, they could not think of

totally incapable either of amufing or of employing themfelves in any other manner during thofe hours, nor could any other mode of fpending their time be in the least agreeable to them.

The made the happiest of men.-changing it. They were, indeed, She did not much lament the death of Maria, faying that the feared fhe never could have enjoyed any comfort in this world, and that the only wished she had not occafioned any uneafinefs to a fifter who was very much to be pitied for being of a difcontented difpofition. "Every human being, doubtlefs, would be happy, if poffible," he added: her own good temper permitted her not to fee that Maria never made any efforts to gain a victory over thofe paffions by which he was ultimately destroyed.

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In the courfe of ten years they had a daughter arrived at the age of nine, and were quite at a lofs to know what to do with her at thofe times when they were devoted to their conftant and moft pleafing occupation. To put her to a boarding fchool might have done well enough; but then there were fo many holidays, that the fame in convenience would have been felt whenever the came home. As to leaving her with the fervants, that was by no means an eligible scheme; they could not, therefore, think of a better method than to keep her always in the room with them at home, and taking her with them when they went abroad.

Mifs Counter being thus early introduced into fociety by no means fuitabic to her, found herfelf not a little embarraffed with regard to amufement, and as the feldom met with little folks of her own age, was reduced to the neceffity of cmploying herself in making obfer

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