The Adopted Daughter: A Tale for Young Persons

se her strength, and she was not allowed to do any thing in the domestic affairs, but nurse the little ones when she liked, and rock the cradle. But her affection f

her as happy as any old woman of her age could be. In visiting her, and one or other poor person in the neighbourhood, part of every day was spent by Anna; and Bella would often accompany her, who, when

ildren; we did all live in one home; we work, and the old did look at us, and tell us what to do; we did no harm to anybody. Then came cruel war; my fat

er feeble hands together, "be thankful, my dear

e that live and die in this peaceful village: I lived in peaceful village once when I was a girl; I was happy then, so I am now I am old; my dear mistress very very kind to me; I shall die quiet

nna and the elder boys each extended their hand to Bella, and their countenances more than their words told them how much they pitied

ling us how she was taken from her father an

that the Slave Trade is abolished, or at least put unde

s, as servants are hired here?" ask

idually, seldom do any thing well: but it is said the negroes are

we must not seek revenge, or even to escape from their cruelty; but if they good to us, we good to them; we d

he farmer, "nor can I justify many of my country

e; "but it was my lot to fall

poor Bella?" asked John, his

let me see it after it was nine months old, but made me work hard hard work!" Here tears seemed t

how it distresses poor Bella, and it only opens to your knowledge crimes which I hope you will never have the inclination to commit. If, as the Scriptures declare, these people are suffering for the sins of their for

revived, and Anna propo

woman," said Bella; "my mistress will tell you all, bu

en, after kissing her, promised never to ask he

deserved, by her strong attachment to it, every attention which they paid her; and never did a master, mistress, and servant agree so well as Molly, and both the Mr. and Mrs. Campbells had done. All the children greatly lamented her loss, and with Mrs. Meridith's permission, Anna, Bella, and Syphax attended her funeral, Mr. and Mrs. Campbell being the chief mourners. Such is a village funeral, where the parade of ostentation is not known; but the simple honours which are paid to honest integrity come from the heart. Every one had a sigh and a good word for poor Molly, as they returned

hearing the recital, that she feared to ask Syphax if he had known similar troubles; but one day, a

n planting sugar-canes, with the whi

id she, shuddering, "poo

em in the West-Indies,

Bella, there

ore I did come there: she g

you know Mrs. M

o say how I became acquainted; she be

la and you were both servants she brought

ke myself. I was born a slave, but I did not feel the whip, or the irons, and the cruel ratings the less for that; but I have been a sad, sad man, Miss," continued he

piness of others, not to take from it," to press for any farther explanation from Syphax, when she saw he

erself. "How wrong of him to distress so kind a friend! and what has she gone

nd have her judgment informed and set right when she had formed a wrong opinion, it was not extraordinary that her understanding was beyond her years; and when little more than fourteen, her manners and sentiments were those of a woman double that age, and in many respects her ideas and knowledge was

e girl of ten years old, and her sisters were one eight, and the other six; the two youngest were boys, but none of these had that affection for Anna as Wi

hat you I hope know enough to justly appreciate its value; and which is not worth anything, unless it enables you to amuse Mrs. Meridith, and to pass through the world with more credit to her, as her adopted daughter, than you could have done, had you been ill-bred and illiterate. But let my children never have an idea of learning accomplishments, for they can never be

how far she ought to value them in herself. She could not say her cousins were the happier for not knowing them, since she had not found them causes of unhappiness in herself: the idea of a

ut it is all best as it is; it is right I should endeavour to attain them, and