herself, her very existence appeared to depend upon her power to make
others participate in those comforts: no living creature in distress was
ever turned away from her door without being relieved. I could fill a
volume in her praise, without being able to do her common justice.

I was now become of sufficient age, to be at once a companion and an
assistant in these charitable peregrinations. There was not a threshold in
the village but she had crossed at one time or another, in order to render
some act of kindness or attention; and, as she passed along, the grateful
inhabitants of every cottage came forth to bestow upon her their
spontaneous and fervent blessings, whilst those who were rolling in
wealth, and puffed up with pride, were suffered to pass unheeded by. Here
it was that my little heart first began to pant for the power to do good;
and I longed to receive, and to deserve such blessings, as were lavished
with grateful lips upon my angelic mother by the poor of all
denominations. I now began to pity their wants and sufferings, and to
participate and rejoice in their happiness. When I expressed a desire for
riches, to enable me to purchase such blessings as were bestowed upon her,
how often did my beloved mother reprove me in the kindest manner, and
endeavour to impress upon my young mind this valuable truth, that wealth
did not always afford the best means of doing good. She used to say, that
those who sincerely wished to do an act of charity, seldom wanted the
means of doing something to relieve the wants, and soothe the afflictions,
of those who were pining in wretchedness and want; for, said she, even a
kind consoling word, combined with a very little personal attention, is
frequently esteemed more valuable, and even proved to be more useful, than
money, to those whose spirits as well as bodies are pressed down to the
earth by unforeseen and frequently unmerited misfortune. These examples
opened to my susceptible mind a new field for reflection, and the scenes
of misery[4] I witnessed, although at that period they were not numerous,