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crying for a bit of bread, which ſhe had not to give them. The afflicted mother her arm round them, and preſſed them to her heart, and, with a look of extreme anguiſh, lifted up her eyes to heaven, and cried out, Lord have mercy on my dear babes! Mrs. Andrews was greately afflicted at the ſight, and immediately diſpatched a neighbour's child after the baker, who was in ſight, and he ſoon returned with a loaf, in the mean time ſhe ſtepped into the houſe, and eagerly aſked the poor woman whether ſhe had loſt her huſband ? He is not dead, Madam, replied ſhe, but he is as bad as left to me, for he has been out of work ſome time, and has been enticed away by ſome idle fellows, who have tempted him to ſpend what little he ſaved laſt harveſt, and now he is running up a ſcore at the alehouſe, while I and my children are ſtarving at home ; for I cannot do much towards getting a livelihood with ſo many little children, nor will the pariſh relieve me while my huſband goes on as he does. How comes it about, ſaid the lady, that he is not at work ? I underſtood Mr. Andrews that he offered to employ all the men whom he found the other day at the George, and I ſuppoſe your huſband was one of them ? On hearing this the poor woman's countenance looked more cheerful, and ſhe ſaid, that he had indeed told her that he was going to work for the ſquire,
