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EDWARD.

CHAPTER I.

The Sympathy of a benevolent Mind.

MRS. BARNET, wife of Mr. George Barnet, who lived at no great distance from London, had been in town to put her daughter to a boarding school.

She had taken a post-chaise, that the chariot might remain for the use of her husband, whose constant custom it was to drive out every day before dinner, to acquire an appetite, the only sensible reason which, in Mr. Barnet's opinion, any man in easy circumstances could have for being at the trouble of exercise.

As Mrs. Barnet returned from town, the post-chaise broke down in the middle of the road-a stage-coach came up at the instant that Mrs. Barnet and her maid had got safely out of the post-chaise; the coachman knew Mrs. Barnet, and his course being directly through a village contiguous to her husband's house, he stopped and offered to set her down at her own door.-Mrs. Barnet perceiving that it would take a considerable time before the chaise could be mended, agreed to the coachman's proposal, and desired her maid to put a small bundle into the coach.

Lard, madam,' cried the maid, as soon as she had peeped into the coach, here is a frightful old woman

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and a beggarly looking boy-you cannot possibly go in

here.'

'As for the old woman and the boy,' said the coachman, ' although they are sitting within, they are no more than outside passangers-for as ill luck would have it, I chanced to have none within; so when the rain came on, I took pity on the boy, and desired him to take shelter in the coach, which he refused, unless the old woman was allowed to go in also ;-so as the boy, you see, is a very pretty boy, I could not bear that he should be exposed to the rain, and so I was obliged to let in both; but now, to be sure, if her ladyship insists on it, they must both go on the outside, which will be no great hardship, for it begins to grow fair.'

Fair or foul, they must get out directly,' said the maid; 'do you imagine that my mistress will sit with such creatures as these, more particularly in such a dirty machine ?"..

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Hark you, young woman,' said the coachman, you may say of the old woman and the boy what you please, they do not belong to me;-but as for the coach, it is my coach, and I would have you to know, bears as good a reputation as any on the road, perhaps a better than your own; so I would not advise you for to go for to slurify the character of those who are saying nothing against yours:-But as for you, my dear, you must come out,' continued he, taking the boy by the arm, since this here gentlewoman insists upon it.'

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By no means,' said Mrs. Barnet; let the child remain, and the woman also; there is room for us all.' So saying, she stepped into the coach; the maid followed, and the coachman drove on.

This arrangement was highly disagreeable to the maid, who seemed greatly mortified at being seated near a woman so meanly dressed.

Mrs. Barnet, on the other hand, was pleased with the opportunity of accommodating the poor woman and boyfor this lady was of a benevolent disposition, and although

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