old maid as might alone fuffice to rescue the fifterhood from ridicule and contempt. She had been attached, in her early days, to a gallant youth, who unhappily loft his own life in preferving that of his dear friend, her brother: fhe devoted herself to his memory with the moft tender, unaffected, and invariable attachment; refusing feveral advantageous offers of marriage, though her income was fo narrow, that neceffity obliged her to convert her whole fortune into an annuity, juft before the calamitous event happened which made her the only guardian of the poor Amelia. This lovely but unfortunate girl was turned of fourteen on the death of her father. She found, in the house of his fifter, the most friendly afylum, and a relation whofe heart and mind made her moft able and willing to form the character of this engaging orphan, who appeared to be as highly favoured by nature as fhe was perfecuted by fortune. The beauty of Amelia was fo ftriking, and the charms of her lively understanding began to display themfelves in fo enchanting a manner, that her affectionate aunt could not bear the idea of placing her any low order of life: she gave her the education of a gentlewoman, in the flattering and generous hope that her various attractions muft fupply the abfolute want of fortune, and that the fhould enjoy the delight of feeing her dear Amelia fettled happily in marriage, before her death expofed her lovely ward to that poverty which was her only in heritance. Heaven difpofed it otherwife. This amiable woman, after having acted the part of a most affectionate parent to her indigent niece, died before Amelia attained the age of twenty. The poor girl was now apparently deftitute of every refource; and expofed to penury, with a heart bleeding for the lofs of a moft indulgent protector. A widow lady of her acquaintance very kindly afforded her a refuge in the first moments of her diftrefs, and propofed to two of her opulent friends, that Amelia fhould refide with them by turns, dividing her year between them, and paffing four months with each. As foon as Mrs. Wormwood was informed of this event, as fhe delighted in thofe oftentatious acts of apparent beneficence which are falfely called charity, the defired to be admitted among the voluntary guardians of the poor Amelia. To this propofal all the parties affented; and it was fettled, that Amelia fhould pass the last quarter of every year, as long as he remained fingle, under the roof of Mrs. Wormwood. This lovely orphan had a fenfibility of heart, which rendered her extremely grateful for the protection the received, but which made her feverely feel all the miferies of dependence. Her beauty attracted a multitude of admirers, many of whom, prefuming on her poverty, treated her with a licentious levity, which always wounded her ingenuous pride. Her perfon, her mind, her manners, were univerfally commended by the men; but no one thought of making her his wife. Amelia,' they cried, is an enchanting creature; but who, in these times, can afford to marry a pretty, proud girl, fupported by charity? Though this prudential question was never uttered in the prefence of Amelia, fhe began to perceive it's influence, and fuffered the painful dread of proving a perpetual burden to those friends by whofe generofity fhe subfifted; the wifhed, a thousand times, that her affectionate aunt, instead of cultivating her mind with fuch dangerous refinement, had placed her in any ftation of life where the might have maintained herself by her own manual labour: fhe fometimes entertained a project of making fome attempt for this purpofe; and the once thought of changing her name, and of trying to fupport herself as an actress on one of the public theatres: but this idea, which her honeft pride had fuggefted, was effectually fuppreffed by her modefty; and the continued to wafte the most precious time of her youth, under the mortification of perpetually wishing to change her mode of life, and of not knowing how to effect it. Almoft two years had now elapfed fince the death of her aunt; and, without any prospect of marriage, fhe was now in her second period of refidence with Mrs. Wormwood. Amelia's understanding was by no means inferior to her other endowments; fhe began to penetrate all the artful difguife, and to gain a perfect and very painful infight into the real character of her prefent hoftefs. This lady had remarked, that when Mifs Nevil refided with her, her houfe was much more frequented by gentlemen than at any other feafon. This, indeed, was true; and it unluckily happened, that thefe vifitors often forgot to applaud the fmart fmart fayings of Mrs. Wormwood, in contemplating the sweet countenance of Amelia; a circumftance full fufficient to awaken, in the neglected wit, the moft bitter envy, hatred, and malice. In truth, Mrs. Wormwood detefted her lovely gueft with the moft implacable virulence; but she had the fingular art of difguifing her deteftation in the language of flattery: she understood the truth of Pope's maxim He hurts me most who lavishly commends ;' and the therefore made ufe of lavish commendation, as an inftrument of malevolence towards Amelia; fhe infulted the taste, and ridiculed the choice, of every new-married man; and declared herself convinced, that he was a fool, becaufe he had not chosen that most lovely young woman. To more than one gentleman she said, ‘Yon muft marry Amelia:' and, as few men chufe to be driven into wedlock, fome offers were poffibly prevented by the treacherous vehemence of her praife. Her malice, however, was not fufficiently gratified by obferving that Amelia had no profpect of marriage. To indulge her malignity, the refolved to amuse this unhappy girl with the hopes of fuch a joyous event; and then to turn, on a fudden, all thefe fplendid hopes into mockery and delufion. Accident led her to pitch on Mr. Nelfon, as a perfon whofe name the might with the greateft fafety employ, as the inftrument of her infidious design, and with the greater chance of fuccefs, as the obferved that Amelia had conceived for him a particular regard. Mr. Nelfon was a gentleman who, having met with very fingular events, had contracted a great but very amiable fingularity of character: he was placed, early in life, in a very lucrative commercial fituation, and was on the point of fettling happily in marriage with a beautiful young lady, when the house in which the refided was confumed by fire. Great part of her family, and among them the deftined bride, was buried in the ruins. Mr. Nelfon, in lofing the object of his ardent affection by fo fudden a calamity, loft for fome time the ufe of his reafon; and when his health and senses returned, he ftill continued under the oppreffion of the profoundest melancholy, till his fond devotion to the memory of her, whom he had loft in fo fevere a manner, fuggested to his fancy a fingular plan of be. nevolence, in the prosecution of which he recovered a great portion of his former fpirits. This plan confifted in fearching for female objects of charity, whofe ditreffes had been occafioned by fire. As his fortune was very ample, and his own private expences very moderate, he he was able to relieve many unfortunate perfons in this condition; and his affectionate imagination delighted itself with the idea, that in these uncommon acts of beneficence he was guided by the influence of that lovely angel whofe mortal beauty had perished in the flames. Mr. Nelfon frequently visited a married fifter, who was fettled in the town where Mrs. Wormwood refided. There was also, in the fame town, an amiable elderly widow, for whom he had a particular efteem. This lady, whose name was Melford, had been left in very scanty circumstances on the death of her husband, and refiding at that time in London, the had been involved in additional diftrefs by that calamity to which the attentive charity of Mr. Nelfon was for ever directed: he more than repaired the lofs which the sustained by fire, and assisted in fettling her in the neighbourhood of his fifter. Mrs. Melford had been intimate with the aunt of Amelia, and was ftill the most valuable friend of that lovely orphan, who paid her frequent vifits, though the never refided under her roof. Mr. Nelfon had often feen Amelia at the houfe of Mrs. Melford, which led him to treat her with particular politeness, whenever he vifited Mrs. Wormwood; a circumstance on which the latter founded her ungenerous project. She perfectly knew all the fingular private history of Mr. Nelfon, and firmly believed, like all the rest of his acquaintance, that no attractions could ever tempt him to marry; but the thought it poflible to make Amelia conceive the hope, that her beauty had melted his refolution; and nothing, the fuppofed, could more effectually mortify her gueft, than to find herself derided for fo vain an expectation. Mrs. Wormwood began, therefore, to infinuate, in the most artful manner, that Mr. Nelfon was very particular in his civilities to Amelia; magnified all his amiable qualities, and expreffed the greatest pleasure in the profpect of fo delightful a match. Thefe petty artifices, however, had no effect on the natural modefty and diffidence of Amelia; the faw nothing that authorised such an idea all her motions: the committed many little blunders in the management of the tea-table; a cup fell from her trembling hand, and was broken; but the politenefs of Mr. Nelfon led him to fay fo many kind and graceful things to her on thefe petty incidents, that, instead of increasing her diftrefs, they produced an oppofite effect, and the tumult of her bofom gradually fubfided into a calm and compofed delight. She ventured to meet the eyes of Mr. Nelfon, and thought them expreffive of that tenderness which promifed a happy end to all her misfortunes. At the idea of exchanging misery and dependence for comfort and honour, as the wife of fo amiable a man, her heart expanded with the most innocent and grateful joy. This appeared in her countenance, and gave fuch an exquifite radiance to all her features, that she looked a thousand times more beautiful than ever. Mrs. Wormwood faw this im in the ufual politeness of a well-bred man of thirty-feven; the pitied the misfortune, the admired the elegant and engaging, though ferious manners, and the revered the virtues, of Mr. Nelfon; but, fup pofing his mind to be entirely engroffed, as it really was, by his fingular charitable purfuits, the entertained not a thought of engaging his affection. Mrs. Wormwood was determined to play off her favourite engine of malignity, a counterfeited letter. She had acquired, in her youth, the very dangerous talent of forging any hand that the pleafed; and her paffion for mischief had afforded her much practice in this treacherous art. Having previously, and fecretly, engaged Mr. Nelfon to drink tea with her, The wrote a billet to Amelia, in the name of that gentleman, and with the most perfect imitation of his hand. The billet faid, that he defigned himself the pleasure of paffing that afternoon at the houfe of Mrs. Wormwood, and requeft-provement of her charms, and, fickened the favour of a private conference with Mifs Nevil in the course of the evening, intimating, in the moft delicate and doubtful terms, an ardent defire of becoming her husband. Mrs. Wormwood contrived that Amelia fhould not receive this billet till just before dinner-time, that she might not fhew it to her friend and confidant, Mrs. Melford, and, by her means, dete&t it's fallacy before the hour of her intended humiliation ing at the fight, determined to reduce the fplendor of such insufferable beauty, and haftily terminate the triumph of her deluded gueft. She began with a few malicious and farcaftic remarks on the vanity of beautiful young women, and the hopes which they frequently entertain of an imaginary lover; but finding thefe remarks produced not the effect fhe intended, he took an opportunity of whifpering in the ear of Amelia; and begged her not to harbour any vain expectations, for the billet she had received was a counterfeit, and a mere piece of pleafantry. Amelia fhuddered, and turned pale: furprife, difappointment, and indignation, confpired to overwhelm her, She exerted her utmoft power to conceal her emotions; but the conflict in her bofom was too violent to be difguifed. The tears, which the vainly endeavoured to fupprefs, burft forth, and fhe was obliged to quit the room in very visible diforder. Mr. Nelfon expreffed his concern; but he was checked in his benevolent enquiries by the caution of Mrs. Wormwood, who faid, on the occafion, that Mifs Nevil was a very amiable girl, but the had fome peculiarities of temper, and was apt to put a wrong conftruction on the innocent pleafantry of her friends. Mr. Nelfon obferving that Amelia did not return, and hoping that his departure might contribute to restore the interrupted harmony of the house, took an early leave of Mrs. Wormwood; wha immediately immediately flew to the chamber of Amelia, to exult, like a fiend, over that lovely victim of her fuccefsful malignity. She found not the perfon, whom she was fo eager to infult. Amelia had, indeed, retired to her chamber, and paffed there a very miferable half hour, much hurt by the treacherous cruelty of Mrs. Wormwood, and still more wounded by reflections on her own credulity, which fhe condemned with that excess of feverity fo natural to a delicate mind in arraigning itfelf. She would have flown for immediate confolation to her friend, Mrs. Melford, but she had reafon to believe that lady engaged on a visit, and fhe therefore refolved to take a folitary walk for the purpose of compofing her fpirits: but neither folitude nor exercife could restore her tranquillity; and as it grew late in the evening, the haftened to Mrs. Melford's, in hopes of now finding her returned. Her worthy old confidant was, indeed, in her little parlour alone, when Amelia entered the room. The eyes of this lovely girl immediately betrayed her distress; and the old lady, with her ufual tenderness, exclaimed, 'Good Heaven! my dear child, for what have you been crying?'Becaufe,' replied Amelia, in a broken voice, and bursting into a fresh fhower of tears, 'because I am a fool.'-Mrs. Melford began to be moft feriously alarmed, and expreffing her maternal folicitude in the kindest manner, Amelia produced the fatal paper- There,' fays fhe, is a letter in the name of your ex⚫cellent friend, Mr. Nelfon; it is a for< gery of Mrs. Wormwood's, and I have been fuch an idiot as to believe it real.' The affectionate Mrs. Melford, who, in her firft alarm, had apprehended a much heavier calamity, was herfelf greatly comforted in difcovering the truth, and faid many kind things to confole her young friend. • Do not fancy,' replied Amelia, that I am foolishly in love with Mr. Nelfon, though I think him the moft pleafing as well as the most excellent of men; and though I confefs to you, that I fhould certainly think it a bleffed lot ⚫ to find a refuge from the mifery of my prefent dependence, in the arms of fo • benevolent and fo generous a protector.' -Thofe arms are now open to receive " you,' faid a voice that was heard before the speaker appeared. Amelia VOL. I. started at the found, and her surprise was not a little increased on feeing Mr. Nelfon himself, who, entering the room from an adjoining apartment, embraced the lovely orphan in a tranfport of tenderness and delight. Amelia, alive to all the feelings of genuine modefty, was for fome minutes more painfully diftreffed by this surprise, than the had been by her paft mortification: fhe was ready to fink into the earth, at the idea of having betrayed her fecret to the man from whom fhe would have laboured moft to conceal it. In the firit tumult of this delicate confufion, the finks into a chair, and hides her face in her handkerchief. Nelfon, with a mixture of refpect and love, being afraid of increafing her diftrefs, feizes one of her hands, and continues to kifs it without uttering a word. The good Mrs. Melford, almost as much aftonifhed, but lefs painfully confufed than Amelia, beholds this unexpected, fcene with that kind of joy which is much more difpofed to weep than to fpeak:-and, while this little party is thus abforbed in filence, let me haften to relate the incidents which produced their. fituation. Mr. Nelfon had obferved the farcaftic manner of Mrs. Wormwood towards Amelia; and, as foon as he had ended his uncomfortable vifit, he haftened to. the worthy Mrs. Melford, to give her fome little account of what had paffed, and to concert with her fome happier plan for the fupport of this amiable infulted orphan. I am acquainted,' faid he, with fome brave and wealthy officers, who have ferved with the father of Mifs Nevil, and often speak of him with respect; I am fure I can raife among them a fubfcription for the 'maintenance of this tender unfortunate girl: we will procure for her an annuity, that fhall enable her to escape from 'fuch malignant patronage, to have a little home of her own, and to fupport a fervant.' Mrs. Melford was tranf ported at this idea; and, recollecting all her own obligations to this benevolent man, wept, and extolled his generofity; and, fuddenly feeing Amelia at fome diftance, through a bow-window, which commanded the ftreet in which the lived, Thank Heaven,' fhe. cried, here comes my poor child, to hear and bless you for the extent of your goodnefs." Nelfon, who delighted moft in doing U good pendence. good by ftealth, immediately extorted from the good old lady a promise of secrecy: it was the belt part of his plan, that Amelia fhould never know the perfons to whom the was to owe her indeI am still afraid of you, my worthy old friend,' faid Nelfon; your countenance or manner will, I know, betray me, if Mifs Nevil fees < me here to-night.''Well,' faid the delighted old lady, Iwill humour your delicacy; Amelia will, probably, not ftay with me. ten minutes; you may amufe yourself, for that time, in my fpacious garden: I will not fay you are ◄ here; and, as foon as the good girl returns home, I will come and impart to you the particulars of her recent vexation. Admirably fettled,' cried Nelfon; and he immediately retreated into a little back room, which led through a glass door into a long flip of ground, embellished with the fweetest and least expensive flowers, which afford. ed a favourite occupation and amusement to Mrs. Melford. Nelfon, after taking a few turns in this diminutive garden, finding himself rather chilled by the air of the evening, retreated again into the little room he had paffed, intending to wait there till Amelia departed; but the partition between the parlours being extremely flight, he overheard the tender confeffion of Amelia, and was hurried towards her by an irresistible impulfe, in the manner already defcribed. Mrs. Melford was the first who recovered from the kind of trance into which our little party had been thrown by their general furprise; and the enabled the tender pair, in the profpect of whofe union her warm heart ex lted, to regain that eafy and joyous poffeffion of their faculties, which they loft for fome little time in their mutual embarraffment. The applause of her friend, and the adoration of her lover, foon taught the diffident Amelia to think lefs feverely of herself. The warm-hearted Mrs. Mel ford declared, that these occurrences were the work of Heaven. That,' replied the affectionate Nelfon, I am most willing to allow; but you must grant, that Heaven has produced our prefent happinefs by the blind agency of a fiend; and, as our dear Amelia has too gentle a fpirit to rejoice in beholding the malignity of a devil converted into the torment of it's poffeffor, I muft beg, that the may not return, even for a fingle night, to the houfe of Mrs. • Wormwood.' Amelia pleaded her sense of past obligations, and wished to take a peaceful leave of her patronefs; but the fubmitted to the urgent entreaties of Mr. Nelfon, and remained for a few weeks under the roof of Mrs. Melford, when he was united at the altar to the man of her heart. Nelfon had the double delight of rewarding the affection of an angel, and of punishing the malevolence of a fiend: he announced in perfon to Mrs. Wormwood his intended marriage with Amelia, on the very night when that treacherous Old Maid had amufed herself with the hope of deriding her gueft; whofe return the was eagerly expecting, in the moment Nelson arrived to fay, that Amelia would return nə more. The furprise and mortification of Mrs. Wormwood arose almost to frenzy; fhe racked her malicious and inventive brain for expedients to defeat the match, and circulated a report for that purpose, which decency will not allow me to explain. Her artifice was detected and defpifed. Amelia was not only married, but the most admired, the most beloved, and the happiest of human beings; an event which preyed fo inceffantly on the fpirit of Mrs. Wormwood, that she fell into a rapid decline. and ended, in a few months, her. mifchievous and unhappy life; a memorable example, that the most artful malignity may fometimes procure for the object of its envy that very happiness which it labours to prevent! THE JEALOUS HUSBAND. BY MR. MARTYN. Fall the paffions which agitate the human breaft, perhaps that of jeaJoufy is the moft eafily excited, and alJayed with the most difficulty. To the |