€imp iRepfigttetj). THE Z&5 $ .9 WN, 2-n WITH SOME ACCOUNT OF F >NGE; THE MONEY LENDER. SoLD Howard and i^VANi, I rsto the CW&ap Repository for Moral and Religions N No " 11 a!1 <" % Long-Lane, W est-Smithfie!cC and pATCHAfr^ No. H:o, Piccadilly, London. By S, P ARD, Bath; and by ait Hocksellers, Newsmen/and Kcrs in Town and Country. ^Allowance will be made to Shopkeepers and Hawkers. Price One Penny, () r 6s. per Hundred, CntereD at ^tatfoners^aU, BETTY BMOWN, ETTY BROWN, the Orange Girl, was bom nobody knows where, and bred nobody knows f, No girl in all the streets of London could jive a barrow more nimbly, avoid pushing against 'ssengers more dexterously, or cry her "'Fine jhina Oranges'' in a shriller voice. But then she uld neither sow, nor -spin, nor knit, noir wash, r iron, nor read, nor spell. Betty had not been ways in so good a situation asthat in which we bw describe her. She came into the world before many good gentlemen and ladies began to con* I themselves so kindly, that the poor might pea little learning. There was no charitable piety then as there is now, to pick up poor friend- Is children in the streets, and put them into a U house, and give them meat, and drink, and iging, and learning, and teach them to get their ead in an honest way into the bargain. Whereas, pow is often the case in London, blessed be 1% all his mercies. jta longest thing that Betty can remember is, ' f she used to crawl up out of a night cellar, 1 about the streets, and pick cinders from the Niger's carts : among the ashes she sometimes 1 some ragged gauze and dirty ribbons, witfe ( 4 ) these she used to dizen herself out, and j i n 1 merry bands on the first of M ay , This Was 1 however quite fair* as she did not lawfully j„< ; ;| either to the female dancers who foot it J round the garland, or to the rooty tribe, wj m J this happy holiday, forget theii wh©l.e year's toil she often, however, got a few scraps, by appeal to belong to both parties, Betty was not an idle girl ; she always put J self in the way of doing s@ineth.ing. She would! of errands for the footmen, or sweep the door I the maid of any house where she was known;! would run and fetch some porter, and never i once known either to sip a drop, or steal the! Her quickness and fidelity in doing little jobs,? her into favor with a lazy cook-maid, who J too apt to give away her master's c@ld meat! beer, not to those who were most in want, but those who waited upon her, and done the little til which she ought to have done herself. The cook, who found Betty a dexterous girl, 1 employed her to sell ends of candies, pieces rneat and cheese, and lumps of butter, or j thing else she could crib from the house. II were all earned to her friend Mrs. Sponge, | kept a little shop, and a kind of eating-house poor' working people, not far from the Seven Dl She also bought as well as sold many kinds of con J hand things, and was not scrupulous to W whether what she bought was honestly cornel provided she could get it for a sixth part o 1 It was worth. But if the owner presimieu to for its real value, she had sudden qualms o J science, suspected the things were stolen, am I herself airs of honesty, which often took w 0"g ( 5 ) p | e? anJ gavfe her a sort of half reputation p t |fe need^ a&d the ignorant, whose friend ^tended be. ■ice To this " artfli.il woman Betty carried the cook's Ljpgs, andias Mrs. Sponge would give no great for fh there was one trade for which she thought Mf qualified, but she had not the ambmo^ to Jc so high. It was far above tier humble views : was, to have a barrow and sell fruit, as seve ral i ofrMrs. Spongers customers did, whom siu; pen looked at with envy. Irs, Sponge was an artful woman. Bad as she she always was aiming at something of a cha- fer, this was a great help to her trade, % 7 MJe watched keenly to make every thing turn to own profit, she had a false fawmng way or . ^ng to do all she did out of .pity an-J kindness P distressed, and she seldom committed an so extortion, but she tried to make the p ers , \ chea;ed Relieve themselves highly obii r ed f f kindness. By thus pretending to be thei^^ en ° d h ; gained their confidence, and she grew rich he? 1 while they thought she was only she wing fj se them. Various were the arts she had of Jwl rich ; the money she get by grinding the poor !3 spent in the most luxurious living, aod while j would haggle with her hungry customers for a fJ thing, she would spend pounds on the most cost delicacies for herself. Mrs. Sponge laying aside that haughty bo!^ voice, well known to such as had the misforttJ be in her debt, put on the hypocritical smile a soft tone, which she always assumed when s meant to take in her dependents. "Betty, ( S | she ) I am resolved to stand your friend ; these a: sad times to be sure. Money is money now. v. l am resolved to put you into a handsome way living. You shall have a barrow, and well furnti ed tod)/" Betty could not have felt more joyj gratitude, if slie had been told that she should hsj a coach." O Madam, (said Betty) it isimpossill I baveriot a penny in the world towards helping to set up." "I will take care of that, (said M Sponge) only you must do as I bid you. Younv payf me- interest for my money. You will of com glad also to pay so much every night for an! hot supper which I get ready quite out of kij ness for' a number of poor working people: q will be a great comfort for such a friendless I as you, for my victuals and drink are the best, ;j illy coHipariy the merriest of any house in all j Giles's.," Betty thought all this only so m more f&vors, and courtesying to the ground; sal ( 7 ) be' sure, Ma'am and thank you a thousand es into the bargain. | rSi Sponge knew what she was about. Betty jj lively girl, who had a knack of learning any L and so well looking through all her dirt and Pjjjat there was little doubt she would have cus- I A barrow was soon provided and five shil- % put into Betty's hands. Mrs. Sponge kindly lescended to go to shew her how to buy the I for it was a rule with this prudent gentlewo- I and one from which she never departed, that lone should cheat but herself. letiy had never possessed such a sum before. grudged to lay it cut ail at once, and was ready fancy she could live upon the capital. The k however, was laid out to the best advantage. I was carefully taught iri what manner to cry Iranges, and received many useful lessons how ^etoifthebad with the good, and the stale with fresh. Mrs. Sponge also lent her a few bad ences, for which she ordered her to brino- home ionesat night—Betty stared. Mrs. Sponge j ' "Betty* those who would get money, must ,be be too nice about trifles; keep one of these pees in your hand, and if an ignorant yc mw tomer gives you a good sixpence, do you im~ lately slip It into your other hand, and give himt bad one, declaring that it is the very one you Jjiist received, and that you have not another Pee m the world. You must also learn how peatdiiierent sorts of customers, to some yon m off with safety, goods which would be ^saleable to others. Never offer bad fruit f to laose who know better; never waste M ( 8 ) good cn those who may be put off with wore good oranges at top and the mouldy one* ^ Poor Betty had not a nice conscience f 1 had never learnt that grand but simple rule ! moral obligation, < Never do that to another 1 you would not have another do to you " ^ j off with her barrow, as proud and as happy as J had been set up in the finest shop in Gdvent- den. Betty had a sort of natural good nature made her unwilling to impose, but she hadnonrf ciple which told her it was a sin. She had ^ good success, that, when night came, she hai an orange left. With a light heart she drove] empty barrow to Mrs. Sponge's door. She wej with a merry face, and threw down on the col every farthing she had taken. ' Betty/ said 1 Sponge, ' 1 have a right to it all, as it was got my money. But I am too generous to take it will therefore only take sixpence for this day's of my five shillings. This is a most reasonable! terest, and I will lend you the same sum to \\\ with to morrow, and so on; you only paying ' sixpence for the use of .it every night, which! be agrecYi bargain to you. You must also pay! my price every night for your supper, and yon 1 have an excellent lo^Mns above stairs; so you I CD O * J every thing will be provided for you in agenf manner through my generosity.' Poor Betty's gratitude blinded her so compkB that sire forgot to calculate the vast proporj wliich this generous benefactress was to recfij out of her little gains. She thought herself ah py creature, and went into supper with a nuni of others of her own class. For this supper, aril more porter and gin than she ought to have dfl tty ( 9 > \ m . was forced to pay so high, that it eat up all fits of the day, which, added to the daily in- W niac ] e Mrs. Sponge a rich return for her Col > | tty was reminded again of the gentility of her situation, as she crept up to bed in one of Mrs. fee's garrets five stories high. This loft tabe re, ; small, and had no window, but what it Eted in light, was made up in company,^ as it I three beds, and thrice as many lodgers. Those ntry had one night, in a drunken frolic, broke wn the door, which happily had never been re- led; for, since that time, the lodgers had died luchseliiomer of infectious distempers. For this feing Betty paid twice as much to her good f iend- she would have done to a stranger. Thus she- Itiniied, with great industry and a thriving trade, poor as on the- first day, and not a bit nearer to ving money enough to buy her even a ,pair of oes, though her feet was nearly on the ground. |0ne day as Betty was driving her barrowthrough Street near Holborn, a lady from a window called It to her that she wanted some oranges. While e servant went to fetch a plate, the lady entered itosome talk with Betty, having been struck with er honest countenance and civil manner. She btioned her as to her way of life, and the profits flier trade— and Betty, who had never been so, D % treated before by so genteel a person, was ei 7 communicative. She told her little history as, | a s she knew it, and dwelt much on the genero- tyof Mrs. Sponge, in keeoina' her in her house, ^ trusting her with so large a capital as five mix* H % > At. first it sounded like a very good natured ™$ but the lady, whose husband was one of the IO\V ( ro ) Justices of the new Police, happened to kn of Mrs. Sponge than was good, which led hi inquire still further. Betty owned, that to be 1 it was not all clear profit, for besides, that the! price of the supper, and bed ran away with atli got, she paid sixpence a day for the use of the fl shillings. ' And how long have you done til said the lady. — * About a year, Madam.' ' The lady's eyes were at once opened, i poor gild/ / said she,) ' do you know that you U already paid for that single five shillings the ej moussumof 7L os ? I believe it is the most a fitable five shillings Mrs. Sponge ever laid out,' 1 ' O, no Madam/ said the girl, ) 'that good gentleJ man does the same kindness to ten or twelve m poor friendless creatures like me.' — ' Does ] so V said the lady, ' then I never heard of arbe| trade than this woman carries on, under the J of charity, at the expence of her poor fellow-crj lures.' 1 ' But Madam/ said Betty, who did not compi hend this lad vV arithmetic, ' what can I do? If — 1 contrive to pick up a morsel of bread without bj ging or stealing, Mrs. Sponge has been very gel to me, and I don't see how 1 can help mpselr.' j ' I will tell you,' said the lady, ' If you will fi low my advice, you may not only maintain yours; honestly, but independently. Only oblige n self to live hrrd for a little time till you have m glee shillings out of your own earnings, give up tH expensive supper at night, drink only one pint! porter and no gin at all : as soon as you have si ped together the five shillings, carry it back to y(| false friend, and if you are industrious; you will; ( *I } en d of the year have saved seven pounds, ten tngs. If } ; ° u can W\*k& a shift to live now when [have this heavy interest to pay, judge how L w ill mend when your capital becomes your f You will put some cloaths on your hack, and leavin/T the use of spirits, and the company in Lyon drink them, your health, your morals,. | your condition will mend.' ie lady did not talk thus to save her money.- — would gladly have given the girl the five shil- s; but she thought it was beginning at the ngend. She wanted to try her. Besides, she w there was much more pleasure as well as orin possesing live shillings of one's own sav- J than of another's giving. Betty promised to ), She owned she got no good by the company he liquor at Mrs. Sponge's. She promised that (night to begin saving the expences of the sup- and that she wovdd not taste a drop ofgintili had the five shillings beforehand- The lady, p knew the power ot good habits, was contented p this, thinking, that if the girl could abstain for time, it would become easy to her; she. |fbre at present said little aboat the sin o| king. fa very few weeks Betty had saved up th* five P.gs. She went to carry back this money with *t gratitude to Mrs. Sponge. This kind friend ^nto abuse her most unmercifully. She called pany hard names not fit to repeat, for having mm the supper, by which she swore she got Pg at all ; but as she had the charity to dress K such beggarly wretches, she insisted that } ; should pay for it, whether they eat it or not *p brought in a heavy score for lodging i ( 12 ) though Betty had paid for it every hfcht notice ot her intending to quit her. Bv ,^ false pretences, she got from her not o2 ttJ five sh^lmga but alJ the little capital J * Betty was going u» set u P for herself, not sufficient to answer her demands, she " •she would send J, r to prison, but wh fo 1 C | call a constable, Betty contri ved to make oT*' With a light pocket and heavv heart L ^thehKly. arid with many fears told hist? The lady's husband, the Justice, conde e ? listen to Betty's tale. He said Mrs Si><2l Nflg been on his books as a fel& of 1 goods Betty's evidence strerigtfeefied his a of jnonof her. , This petty sy^rem of K?| thegen leman, 'may be ifeught trifling bat JwU no longer appear so, if you reflect, that if 1 cftnese female sharper, possessed a capital of J vcnty snil lings, or 3 1. IOS . with fourteen stead regmar customers, she can realize a fixed itjcJ ot too guineas a year. Add to this the influent such a loan gives her over these friendless creak tures, by compelling them to cat at her house, \ lodge, or buy liquors, or by taking their pawns.af you will see the extent of the evil. I pity the] poor victims: you, Betty, shall point out some | them to me. I will endeavour to open their eye on their own bad management; 't is one of di greatest acts of kindness to the poor to mend thei economy, and to give them right views of law out their little money to advantage. These pool blinded creatures look no farther, than to be alii to pay this heavy interest every night, and io obj tain the same loan on the same hard terms the next day. Thus they are kept in poverty and bondage! 1 it f 13 ) . jjv^s ■} btit pe as many as hear of this jjtlieu ^ setter plan, ana I shall be ready to B who are willing to help themselves." — ■ K^rthy niagistrnte went directly to Mrs. ■^eVvith proper oncers, and he got to the bot- ^many enqaines. He not only made her re- , Rettv's monev, but committed her to -or receiving stolen goods, and various other ■ >nC V Sy which may perhaps make the subject of ■ther history. Petty was now set up in trade to her hearts con-- She had found the benefit ofleaving off spirits, 6 she resolved to drink them no m@re. The |t fruits of this resolution was that in a fortnight e bought herselfa new pair of shoes, and as there snow no deduction for interest or for gin, her firings became considerable. The lady made her present of a gown and a hat, on the easy condi- gn, that she should go to church. She accepted e terms, at first rather as an act of obedience to I lady, than from a sense of higher duty. But I soon began to go from a better motive. This [)nstant attendance at church, joined to the in* actions of the lady, opened a new world to Betty, he now heard for the first time that she was a sin- er; that God had given a law which was holy, just, nd good, that she had broken this law, had been a wearer, sabbath- breaker, andhad lived without God flthe world. This was sad news to Betty; she knew, ndeed, that there were sinners, but she thought hey were only to be found in the prisons, or at ^any-bay, or in some mournful carts which she a d sometimes followed with her barrow, with the ng croud to Tyburn. She was most struck with the great truths revealed in the improvement, and said, she would gi Ve U p which were quite new to her. She widest profits of the barrow, and go into the hardest vice, rather than live in sin and ignorance • Betty/ said the lady, 'I am glad to see you well disposed, and will do what I can for yj Your present way of life to be sure exposes yJ much dai,^ ei\ but the trade is not unlawful self, and we may please God, in any calling, vided it be not a dishonest one. In this greatto there must be barrow-women to sell fruit. Dot then, instead of forsaking your business, set a gc example to those in it, and shew them, that thi a dangerous trade, it need not be a bad one, ) Providence points out some safer way of gel your bread, let your companions see, that it possible to be good even in this. Your trade he carried on in the open street, and your fruit boi in an open shop, you are not so much obliged keep sinful company as may be thought. Tal garret in an honest house, to which you maj| home in safety at night, f will give you a bed I a few necessaries to furnish your room ; and 1 also give you a constant Sunday's dinner. Alj row woman, blessed be God and our good la is as much her own mistress on Sundays | duchess : and the church and the bible are as nu open to her. You may soon learn all that suclj you are expected to know. A barrow-woman n pray as heartily morning and night, and serve \ as acceptably all day, while she'is carrying on f little trade, as if she had her whole time to span Ill f do this well, vou must mind the following RULES FuR RETAIL DEALERS. Resist -every temptation to cheat j; e ver impose bad good on false pretences, ^everput oft bad money for good, jfever use prophane or uncivil language. |}ever swear your goods cost so much, when you L it is false. By so doing, you are guilty of ,osins in one breath, a lie and an oath.