SUSAN GRAY. 15

and little, when she found herself able, told us
her story, which, much as we loved and ad-
mired her before, rendered her still more and
more dear to us.

But before I relate it, as | intend to do to
the best of my power in her own language, I
must address a few words of my own to those
young women who shail hereafter read the his-
tory of Susan Gray.

I am an old man, being seventy-four last
Old Christmas-day: I have been Rector of this
parish forty years; and during that time I can
say, with King David, I never saw the righteous
forsaken, nor his seed begging their bread.
(Psalm xxxvil. 25.) I will not say that misfor-
tunes do not sometimes come upon very good
people; but God is a strength to the poor man
who fears him, a refuge from the storm, a
shadow from the heat. (Isaiah xxv. 4.)

Yet, while I affirm this for the encouragement
of those who try to serve their God to the best
of their power, I must not hide from you who
shall read this, what has been the end of all the
bad people whom I have been so unfortunate as
to know since I lived in this village. I will
speak particularly of bad women. I never
knew a vain, a light, or bold girl, whose end in
this world was not shame, poverty, or disease.
For a time a bad young woman may seem to
prosper; she may deck herself in silver and
gold, she may paint her face and tire her head
like the wicked queen Jezebel. But these are
the words of God, Hear now this, thou that art
given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that