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(illegible text)al deſpair. It is the natural province of man to (illegible text)er; it is an appendage of his condition: but it ⟨requires⟩ a ſomething more to learn to ſubmit, and ⟨patient⟩ ſubmiſsion, without complaint, to bear. ⟨It⟩ is natural to ſuppoſe that the ſtorm above ⟨deſcended⟩, muſt have given riſe to many diſtreſſing ⟨and⟩ pathetic ſcenes; muſt upon ſome occaſions have ⟨growed⟩ up the foul, and upon others, have in(illegible text)ed a tenderneſs and pity. Huſbands and wives, ⟨and⟩ parents and children, were in many places (illegible text)erated by the terrors of the night and ⟨ſeparated⟩, as before obſerved, to meet no more: but ⟨upon⟩ theſe dreadful ſcenes I ſhall not attempt to ⟨dwell⟩ as their remembrance will ſurvive the ⟨description⟩ of my pen, in the melancholy perpetuity ⟨of⟩ domestics afflictions; and which numberleſs ſa(illegible text)ies, more or leſs, to the deſtruction of their (illegible text)es, and the diſcomfort of their lives, will long, ⟨very⟩ long, have cauſe to lament.
⟨I⟩ ſhall never forget the deſolate appearance my caſe made immediately after this cataſtrophe, nor ⟨the⟩ many circumſtances of diſtreſs and commiſerations that alternatly ſhocked and ſoftened the mind. ⟨Here⟩ a poor infant was ſeen extracted from the ⟨ruins⟩, and its lifeleſs body confined to the care and ⟨lamentations⟩ of its deſponding parents; there ſat a ⟨group⟩ of negroes bewailing with heavineſs of heart, ⟨and⟩ all the ſilent eloquence of ſtreaming eyes; and ⟨reached⟩-out hands, the total deſtruction of their (illegible text)e fortunes, in the wrecks of their houſes, the (illegible text)n of their effects, and the demolition of their ⟨grounds⟩; while others ran confuſedly here and ⟨there⟩, without knowing upon what errand they ⟨were⟩ bent, or where to begin, or how to ſet about ⟨the⟩ reſtoration of their loſſes, or by what ⟨philoſophy⟩ to conſole their minds.
There were many who wiſhed to be employed ⟨in rendering⟩ our ſituations more comfortable, but