cottage; but through weakness being unable to work, she soon
exhausted her whole stock, and was even obliged to quit this
habitation, bad as it was, and for some days support herself
wholly by begging from door to door, often meeting with very
unkind language for so idle an employment; some people telling her
to go to her parish, when, alas! her parish was many miles
distant, and she, poor creature, had no means of getting there.

'At last she wandered, in this distressful situation, to the house
of Mr. Flail, and walked into the farm yard just at the time the
cows were being milked. She, who for a long time had tasted
nothing but bits of broken bread, and had no drink besides water
she had scooped up in her hands, looked at the quantity of fresh
milk with a most wishful eye; and, going to the women who were
milking, she besought them in a moving manner to give her a
draught, as she was almost ready to perish. "For pity's sake,"
said she, "have compassion upon a poor wretch, dying with
sickness, hunger, and thirst; it is a long time since I have
tasted a mouthful of wholesome victuals, my lips are now almost
parched with thirst, and I am so faint for want, that I can
scarcely stand; my sufferings are very great indeed, it would melt
a heart of stone to hear the story of my woes. Oh! have pity upon
a fellow-creature then, and give me one draught of that milk,
which can never be missed out of so vast a quantity as you have
there, and may you never, never, know what it is to suffer as I
now do." To this piteous request, she received for answer, the
common one of "Go about your business, we have nothing for you, so
don't come here." "We should have enough to do indeed," said one
of the milkers, "if we were to give every idle beggar who would
like a draught of this delicious milk; but no, indeed, we shall