Lives of Celebrated WomenGoodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
History
Lives of Celebrated Women
Goodrich, Samuel G. (Samuel Griswold)
Women -- Biography
It would require a large volume to speak of all Miss More's labors in
behalf of erring and suffering humanity. At one time, we find her
engaged, in the most harassing and embarrassing situations, spending
days and nights with armed Bow Street officers in searching the vilest
haunts for a young heiress, who had been trepanned away from school at
the age of fourteen. The details of another of her attempts to
alleviate suffering, exhibit so strikingly the genuine liberality of
her heart and conduct, as to be worth relating. She was one day
informed that a woman, who called every day for stuff to feed a pig,
was, with her husband and children, perishing with hunger. She lost no
time in endeavoring to rescue this miserable family, and soon
discovered that the woman was possessed of more than ordinary talent.
She produced several scraps of poetry, which evinced much genius. It
occurred to Miss More that this talent might be made the means of
exciting a general interest in her behalf, and raising a fund to set
her up in some creditable way of earning a subsistence. She
accordingly took a great deal of pains in instructing her in writing,
spelling, and composition; and, while the object of her charity was
preparing, under her inspection, a small collection of poems, she was
employed in writing to all her friends of rank and fortune, bespeaking
subscriptions. Mrs. Montagu cautioned her not to let her own generous
nature deceive her as to the character and temper of her beneficiary.
"It has sometimes happened to me," she writes, "that, by an endeavor
to encourage talents and cherish virtue, by driving from them the
terrifying spectre of pale poverty, I have introduced a legion of
little demons: vanity, luxury, idleness, and pride, have entered the
cottage the moment poverty vanished. However, I am sure despair is
never a good counsellor."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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