onhenoonofhe14hofnovember,1743or4,iforgewhichiwas,jusasheclockhadsruckone,barbaras——,wihheraccusomedpuncualiyascendedhelongramblingsaircase,wihawkwardinerposedndingpces,whichledoheoffice,orraherasorofboxwihadeskini,whereasahehenreasurerof(whafewofourreadersmayremember)heoldbahhearealloverheisndiwashecusom,andremainssoibelieveohisday,forhepyersoreceiveheirweeklysipendonhesaurdayiwasnomuchhabarbarahadocim

hislilemaidhadjuseneredherelevenhyear;buherimporansaionaheheare,asiseemedoher,wihhebenefiswhichshefeloaccruefromherpiousapplicaionofhersmallearnings,hadgivenanairofwomanhoodohersepsandoherbehaviouryouwouldhaveakenherohavebeenaleasfiveyearsolder

illerlyshehadmerelybeenemployedinchoruses,orwherechildrenwerewanedofilluphescenebuhemanager,observingadiligenceandadroinessinheraboveherage,hadforsomefewmonhspasinrusedoherheperformanceofwholeparsyoumayguessheselfconsequenceofhepromoedbarbarashehadalreadydrawnearsinyoungarhur;hadralliedrichardwihinfaninepeunceinhedukeofyorkandinherurnhadrebukedhapeuncewhenshewasprinceofwalesshewouldhavedoheelderchildinmoronspaheicalerpieceohelife;buasyehe”childreninhewood”wasno

longaferhislilegirlwasgrownanagedwoman,ihaveseensomeofhesesmallpars,eachmakingwoorhreepagesamos,copiedouinherudeshandofhehenpromper,whodoublessranscribedalilemorecarefullyandfairlyforhegrownupragedydiesofheesablishmenbusuchasheywere,bloedandscrawled,asforachildsuse,shekephemall;andinhezenihofheraferrepuaioniwasadelighfulsighobeholdhemboundupincosliesmorocco,eachsingle——eachsmallparmakingabook——wihfinecsps,gilspshed,&cshehadconscieniouslykephemasheyhadbeendeliveredoher;noablohadbeeneffacedoramperedwihheywerepreciousoherforheiraffecingremembrancingsheywereherprincipia,herrudimens;heelemenaryaoms;helilesepsbywhichshepressedforwardoperfecion”wha,”shewouldsay,”couldindianrubber,orapumicesone,havedoneforhesedarlings?”

iami

ohurryobeginmysory——indeedihavelileornooell——soiwilljusmenionanobservaionofhersco

ecedwihhaineresingime

nolongbeforeshediedihadbeendiscoursingwihheronhequaniyofrealpresenemoionwhichagrearagicperformerexperiencesduringacingivenuredohink,hahoughinhefirsinsancesuchpyersmushavepossessedhefeelingswhichheysopowerfullycalledupinohers,yebyfrequenrepeiionhosefeelingsmusbeedeadenedingreameasure,andheperformerrusohememoryofpasemoion,raherhanexpressapresenonesheindignanlyrepelledhenoion,hawiharulygrearagedianheoperaion,bywhichsucheffecswereproduceduponanaudience,couldeverdegradeiselfinowhawaspurelymechanicalwihmuchdelicacy,avoidingoinsanceinherselfexperience,sheoldme,hasolongagoaswhensheusedopyheparofhelilesonomrsporersisabelia,(ihinkiwas)whenhaimpressiveacresshasbeenbendingoverherinsomehearrendingcolloquy,shehasfelrealhoearsericklingfromher,which(ouseherpowerfulexpression)haveperfeclyscaldedherbackiamnoquiesosurehaiwasmrsporer;buiwassomegreaacressofhadayhenameisindifferen;buhefacofhescaldingearsimosdisinclyrememberiwasalwaysfondofhesocieyofpyers,andamnosurehaanimpedimeninmyspeech(whichcerainlykepmeouofhepulpi)evenmorehancerainpersonaldisqualificaions,whichareofengooverinhaprofession,didnoprevenmeaoimeoflifefromadopingiihavehadhehonour(imusevercalli)onceohavebeenadmiedoheeaableofmisskellyihavepyedaseriouswhiswihmrlisonihavechaedwihevergoodhumouredmrscharleskembleihaveconversedasfriendofriendwihheracplishedhusbandihavebeenindulgedwihacssicalconferencewihmacready;andwihasighofhepyerpicuregallery,amrmahewss,whenhekindowner,oremuneraemeformyloveofheoldacors(whomhelovessomuch)wenoveriwihme,supplyingohiscapialcollecion,whaaloheariscouldnogivehem——voice;andheirlivingmoionoldones,halffaded,ofdoddandparsons,andbaddeley,havelivedagainformeahisbiddingonlyedwinhecouldnoresoreomeihavesuppedwih——;buiamgrowingacoxb

asiwasabouosay——ahedeskofhehenreasurerofheoldbahheare——nodiamonds——presenedherselfhelilebarbaras

heparensofbarbarahadbeeninrepuablecircumsanceshefaherhadpracised,ibelieve,asanapohecaryinheownbuhispracicefromcauseswhichifeelmyowninfirmiyoosensiblyhawayoarraign——orperhapsfromhapureinfeliciywhichacpaniessomepeopleinheirwalkhroughlife,andwhichiisimpossibleoyahedoorofimprudence——wasnowreducedonohingheywereinfacinheveryeehofsarvaion,whenhemanager,whoknewandrespecedheminbeerdays,ookhelilebarbarainohispany

aheperiodimencedwih,herslenderearningswerehesolesupporofhefamily,includingwoyoungersisersimushrowaveiloversomemorifyingcircumsancesenoughosay,hahersaurdayspiancewasheonlychanceofasundays(generallyheironly)mealofmea

ohingiwillonlymenion,hainsomechildspar,whereinherhearicalcharacershewasosupoffaroasfowl(ojoyobarbara!)someicacor,whowasforhenighcaererforhisdainyinhemisguidedhumourofhispar,hrewoverhedishsuchaquaniyofsal(ogriefandpainofhearobarbara!)hawhenhecrammedaporionofiinohermouh,shewasobligedspueringlyorejeci;andwhawihshameofherillacedpar,andpainofreappeieamissingsuchadainy,herlilehearsobbedalmosobreaking,ilfloodofears,whichhewellfedspecaorswereoallyunableoprehend,mercifullyrelievedher

hiswashelilesarved,merioriousmaid,whosoodbeforeoldravenscrof,hereasurer,forhersaurdayspaymen

ravenscrofwasaman,ihaveheardmanyoldhearicalpeoplebesidesherselfsay,ofallmenleascalcuedforareasurerhehadnoheadforaccouns,paidawayarandom,kepscarceanybooks,andsummingupaheweeksend,ifhefoundhimselfapoundorsodeficien,bleshimselfhaiwasnoworse

nowbarbarasweeklysipendwasabarehalfguineabymisakehepoppedinoherhanda——wholeone

barbararippedaway

shewasenirelyunconsciousafirsofhemisake:godknows,ravenscrofwouldneverhavediscoveredi

buwhenshehadgodownohefirsofhoseuncouhndingpces,shebecamesensibleofanunusualweighofmealpressingherlilehand

nowmarkhedilemma

shewasbynaureagoodchildfromherparensandhoseabouhershehadimbibednoconraryinfluencebuhenheyhadaughhernohingpoormenssmokycabinsarenoalwaysporicoesofmoralphilosophyhislilemaidhadnoinsincoevil,buhenshemighbesaidohavenofixedprincipleshehadheardhonesymended,buneverdreamedofisapplicaionoherselfshehoughofiassomehingwhichconcernedgrownuppeople——menandwomenshehadneverknownempaion,orhoughofsparingresisanceagainsi

herfirsimpulsewasogobackoheoldreasurer,andexpinohimhisblunderhewasalreadysoconfusedwihage,besideanauralwanofpuncualiy,hashewouldhavehadsomedifficulyinmakinghimundersandishesawhainaninsanandheniwassuchabiofmoney!andhenheimageofargerallowanceofbuchersmeaonheirablenexdaycameacrossher,illherlileeyesglisened,andhermouhmoisenedbuhenmrravenscrofhadalwaysbeensogoodnaured,hadsoodherfriendbehindhescenes,andevenremendedherpromoionosomeofherlileparsbuagainheoldmanwasrepuedobeworhaworldofmoneyhewassupposedohavefifypoundsayearclearofheheareandhencamesaringuponherhefiguresofherlilesockinglessandshoelesssisersandwhenshelookedaherow

eawhiecoonsockings,whichhersiuaionahehearehadmadeiindispensableforhermoheroprovideforher,wihhardsrainingandpinchingfromhefamilysock,andhoughhowgdsheshouldbeocoverheirpoorfeewihhesame——andhowhenheycouldacpanyherorehearsals,whichheyhadhiherobeenprecludedfromdoing,byreasonofheirunfashionableaire——inhesehoughsshereachedhesecondndingpce——hesecond,imeanfromheop——forherewassilnoherleforaverse

nowviruesupporbarbara!

andhaneverfailingfrienddidsepin——forahamomenasrenghnoherown,ihaveheardhersay,wasrevealedoher——areasonabovereasoning——andwihouherownagency,asiseemed(forsheneverfelherfeeomove)shefoundherselfransporedbackoheindividualdeskshehadjusquied,andherhandinheoldhandofravenscrof,whoinsilenceookbackherefundedreasure,andwhohadbeensiing(goodman)insensibleohepseofminues,whichoherwereanxiousages;andfromhamomenadeeppeacefelluponherhear,andsheknewhequaliyofhonesy

ayearorwosunrepiningapplicaionoherprofessionbrigheneduphefee,andheprospecs,ofherlilesisers,sehewholefamilyuponheirlegsagain,andreleasedherfromhedifficulyofdiscussingmoraldogmasuponandingpce

ihaveheardhersay,haiwasasurprise,nomuchshorofmorificaionoher,oseehecoolnesswihwhichheoldmanpockeedhedifference,whichhadcausedhersuchmoralhroes

hisanecdoeofherselfihadinheyear1800,fromhemouhofheemrscrawford,hensixysevenyearsofage(shediedsoonafer);andohersrugglesuponhischildishoccasionihavesomeimesvenuredohinkherindebedforhapowerofrendinghehearinherepresenaionofconflicingemoions,forwhichinaferyearsshewasconsideredaslileinferior(ifaallsoinheparofdyrandolph)evenomrssiddons

[foonoe]hemaide

ameofhisdywassree,whichshechanged,bysuccessivemarriages,forhoseofdancer,barry,andcrawfordshewasmrscrawford,andahirdimeawidow,wheniknewher