‘leaſt harm; but give me the ſqualler, I have taken a fancy to the brat. I will ſupport him like a lord; he ſhall be cloathed in ſilk and ſattin; I will bring him up to be a fine fellow, and he ſhall be able to aſſiſt his father and brothers hereafter—Aſk me five pounds for him, and thou ſhalt be paid the money.’
‘Ha! ſo the child pleaſes thee, does he? Aye, truly he is a cherub of a child; I would not ſell this boy for all the money upon earth.’
‘Fool! haſt thou not three children beſides? Are they not enough to load and plague thee? Thou muſt labour hard to maintain them, and I ſee they will not ſuffer thee to reſt by day or by night.’
‘This is very true—but I am their mother—I muſt do my duty by them. Children bring ſorrow and trouble, but they bring much comfort alſo.’
‘Comfort indeed! to load thyſelf with the bundles every day—to ſwaddle
‘them,
