The Mysteries of the Court of London — page 347: what you’re looking at

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RWS THE MYETERIES. ee | events which had thus come to her knowledye. | a countenance nsturally good-looking, but awfully For, although she might unbosom the sentiments and the secrets of her own soul,—yet everything regarding her sire she looked upon as solemn an:! gacred: and thus the Princess Sophia remained in complete ignorance of those circumstances of which the Princess Amelia had become cognizant, and which proved that some tremendous secret was associated with the destiny of Eugland’s King. Rising from the window recess where they had remained for some time seated, and where the con- fidential outpourings of their hearts’ mysteries had taken place, the royal sisters luuked furth from the casement upun the vast range of park and pleasure-ground stretching before them. “it is now mid-d: y,” observcd the Princess Sophia, after a long silence: and, bending her eyes significantly on the blushing countenance uf her sister, she said, “ Do not remain here, Amelia, only for the purpose of keeping me company. | know from all you have told. me this morniuy, that the hour is now at hand when some one will be ex- pecting to meet you youder.” “Such is indeed the ¢-uth, dearest sister,” mur- mured the younver lady, a sigh of pleasure escap ing from her lips. “Bat you, my beloved Sophia,” she exciaimed, a sadden thonzht striking her,— “have yew no hope of woon bekoiding aguin the object of your affvction ?” “Yes,” answered tne elder Princess: “2 letter which l received yesterday tells me that General Barth will be m Loudon in the eourse of next week —and I shall ther return to St. Jamen's palace.” “ Will he wot ask to be allowed to embrace his child ?” inquired the Princess Amelia, gassuy ten- deriy up intu her sister's eountenauce. “ Nu—tur that cnild can never be recognise! b either, of ity parents,” was the melancholy re- spouse. Amelia pressed Sophia's hand in teken of the sincerest sympathy — and thcu harried from the epartment. qa. CHAPTER XCVI. & BRITISH WORKING MAN AND HIS FAMILY. We must now return to Camilla Morton—or rather Rove Foster: for the reader is doubtless well aware shat the orphan girl had entered Mrs. Brace’s ests blishinent under the former name, which she had as- euined for the reasons set forth in the letter that she had addressed to Tim Meavles. a weck had elapsed since we saw her hurrying madly along, in that vile ne‘ghbourhood whica fies in the immediate vicinity of Westuninster Abbey: and it will be recollected that we leit her at the mo- ment when, a vero se.z:nz upon her, she sauk de- prived of sense upon the aour-step of a house. And where do we fi.d hernow? Let us endea- vour (o depict 4 scene which, full of harrowin:z de- tals though it were, Was but the type of thousands of such specticies existing ther, and of my rlucs ex- bting at the present day ! Tow wretcned yoict 4a small family was groupe tin all th se uustuagid but paiuiul attitudes witen denote tnisery anc dee pair. A man, belonging to the industrious elas, was e@ated Upun a brukeu chair; aud every Gacwnede u 0 Se ee a ee ee ee ap Gamo care-worn, evins ed the ravages of famine and the poignancy of a ute meutal anguish His form, strongly built when in vigorous health, was so wasted that his poverty-stricken clothing hung loosely upoa him—thus rendering him a ghastly object, piteous indeed to contemplate: for it was a being mie in the image of God who was thus reduced by destitue tion, aud want, and sorrow to that lamentable condi- tion in which he appeared to be dying by inches. In another part of the wretched room, a woman was suckling a babe. Suckling !—no—no—that is not the term: for the fountain of her infant’s life was dried up in her bosom -and the child was pulling feebly at a withered breast. O Gud! what language i ee ae ea iin aera TT LT Te aE ae a ee can convey an idea of the shocking appearance of . that poor mother and her innocent babe? E:ma- ciated were they both-—-s0 emaciate.: that the wo:nan seeined but the shadow of what her furmer seli inust have been—and the child lay with the lightness of a feather oh her thin, fleshless arm. Her cheeks ‘ were sunken and of corpse-like paleness: her eyes ) were hollow, with large blue circies about them ;— the colour had even fled from her itps, leaving them white as if Death bad imprinted upon them the cold kiss of the: tomb ;-sand her entire appearance was $0 wan-—so woe-bagone—so full of despair, that it seermcd as if Mrsery had taken a baman shape and had become personified in her. ‘The babe--the poor babe ever which she bent, was | about give or¢en esvaths old: but it -eeaveely ap- peared to have nusnbered as cnany weeks, The lice being was ee emactated as to be o1!v skin and boue, and tstead of naawng that rounduess of tace which usuall: chasactermes-even the infant of tenderes' aga, - us causes were as somken as thuse of its unui hee hers waa no vivacity in it—searcely any moton Dull and Guiet it hy—wot -tansiny its ead round every now aod then at the.Semuus of voic.s—and | uever once experiencing the sunkigit of a sinile to | ureak upon the frozen winter of its sad and cheerless infancy. Aud as the starving mother oent over the famished babe, an expression of such rending despair would sweep from tine to time athwart her countenance that, although her lips were sileut, it was easy to read upon her features the words of agouy which she kept repeating in the depths of her heart—* Holy Goud! what will become of thee, poor helpiess child 2?” Near ber was a lite boy of about eight vears old, | and with a countenance that was intended by nature to be round, ruddy, and laughing tu expressiun. But, merciful heaven! bow spirit-bronen—how thnu— how tortured with hunger--and now wretched he lookea! Languid —eahuusted—~with bollow eyes ip wuich starvatiun’s demon glaréi—ans shivering IQ the scanty cluthes that hung lousery ou nis wasted tame, the little fellow presented a s,evtacile tat would have drawn tears trom a bei... vt e en iron heart,—aye, froin the eyes of any one save a Aung, a wiucen, an Anstocrat, or a Poor Law Cowanissioner! Upon the fluor of this wretch d gatret, anouier boy—about thirteen years of age -was seale., ctr Geavourmig to south to the best of his abints & yuuny slater who was vetween six and seven Tue nut erable girl was crying for brea; and ber brutwt us futished as hermti, was whiss ering ba der ed ull the fundest assurances @nd tie Urighest aved ais fancy Coudd Cuoljure Up, DUC the teacsauem a ue 12) ECOMIIEHO® SS an - Lad Eee olga | oe aha» co