give Thanks to him. When the Poor Woman had taken up all, ſhe was ſo weak, ſhe could not carry it at once in, tho’ the Weight was not much neither; ſo ſhe left the Biſcuit which was in a little Bag, and left a little Boy to watch it till ſhe came again.
Well, but ſays I to him, did you leave her the four Shillings too, which you ſaid was your Week's Pay?
YES, YES, ſays he, you ſhal hear her own it. So he calls again, Rachel, Rachel, which it ſeems was her Name, did you take up the Money? YES, ſaid the. How much was it, ſaid he? Four Shillings and a Groat, ſaid ſhe. Well, well, ſays he, the Lord keep you all; and ſo he turned to go away.
As I could not refrain contributing Tears to this Man’s Story, ſo neither could I refrain my Charity for his Aſſiſtance; ſo I call’d him, Hark thee Friend, faid I, come hither; for I believe thou art in Health, that I may venture thee; ſo I pull’d out my Hand, which was in my Pocket before, here, ſays I, go and call thy Rachel once more, and give her a little more Comfort from me. God will never forſake a Family that truſt in him as thou doſt; ſo I gave him four other Shillings, and had him go lay them on the Stone and call his Wife.
I have not Words to expreſs the poor Man’s thankfulneſs, neither could he expreſs it himſelf; but by Tears running down his Face; he call’d his Wife, and told her God had mov’d the Heart of a Stranger upon hearing their Condition, to give them all that Money; and a great deal more ſuch as that, he ſaid to her. The Woman too, made Signs of the like Thankfulneſs, as well to Heaven, as to me, and joyfully pick’d it up; and I parted with no Money all that Year, that I thought better beſtow’d.
I then ask’d the poor Man if the Diſtemper had not reach’d to Greenwich: He ſaid it had not, till about a Fortnight before; but that then he feared it had; but that it was only at that End of the Town, which lay South towards Deptford-Bridge; that he went only to a Butchers-Shop, and a Grocers, where he gene-
