“I think I have told you, I used to manage a Female Friendly Society in Bath, that is, a society where a number of poor women pay in so much a week, to have out a certain sum when they are ill. The rule was, that when they required this money they sent me a certificate, signed by a doctor, stating that they were ill; and as long as the illness continued, they sent to me every week for the money, each time producing lie certificate. We used to meet once a fortnight, to pay in money, settle accounts, &c. At one of these meetings, I said to a young woman— “‘I see, Esther, you have had money from this society four weeks.’ She said— “‘Not four, ma’am,—only three.’” “I looked carefully over my accounts, and found that money had really been paid to her name for four weeks. After much inquiry and investigation, we found that Esther’s mother, a wicked and abandoned woman, had, by some means, obtained the certificate, presented it; and had appropriated the money to her own purposes. As soon as this was quite ascertained, I declared my intention of calling upon the woman, and talking to her about it. All of them who knew her tried to dissuade me from this, assuring me that she was such a dreadful character that I should hardly be safe from personal violence. However, as such a thing could not be allowed to pass unnoticed, I felt it was right to go; and after earnest prayer to God for a wise and understanding heart, I set out. “It was with much difficulty I found her out: she lived in one of those deplorable places to be met with in all great cities, where the workers of iniquity seek to hide themselves. At last, I was directed to a little room at the back of a very dirty old iron-shop. On entering, I saw a very large woman standing in the room, her arms resting on her hips, her red face and bloodshot eyes telling their own sad tale. She did not speak, but stared at me with the bold look of defiance. I said— “‘I think your name is Alice R—?’ She replied— “‘I should like to know what the likes of you have to do with the likes of me?’ I said— “‘You have a daughter, I believe, named Esther?’ “‘I wonder what business that is of yours?’ she rejoined, with a terrible oath, and clenching her fist. I said— “‘Just now, that _is_ business of mine.’ Then taking a seat, dirty as it was, by way of assuring her I was not going to be frightened from her presence, I looked steadily at her, and said quietly—‘Alice, if you had trusted me with your money to keep for you for a certain purpose, and, when you applied to me for it, you found it had been used by others, in ways never intended, what would you say to me?’ “‘Why, say you ought to look sharper after it, to be sure,’ she replied.