nature more inclined to evil than to good, that his mother's mismanagement had increased every thing that was bad in him, and extinguished every thing that was good—that the continual contradictions of his mother's professions and life, had led him to an entire disbelief of the truths of religion, as well as a contempt of its restraints.
After the old man had finished Mary's story, or rather so much of it as he had been able to gather from her confessions, Jane asked him "Why she had been sent for?"
"Why Miss," he replied, "after the poor thing had come to herself, all her trouble seemed to be about her baby, and I did not know what to advise her; my woman and I might have done for it for the present, but our sun is almost set, and we could do but a little while. I proposed to her to go for Wilson, and I was sure the sight of her might have softened a heart of flint; but she shivered at the bare mention of it: she said "No, no; I cannot see that cruel face upon my deathbed." And then I thought of you, and I told her if there was any body could bring him to a sense of right it was you, and that at any rate you might think of some comfort for her; for I told her every body in the village knew you for the wisest and discreetest, and gentlest. At first she relucted, and then the sight of her baby seemed to persuade her, and she bade me go, but she gave me a strict charge that no one should come with you; for she said she wished her memory buried with her in the grave. When I left her to go to you, I hoped
