“I then explained what was the object of my coming to her. She did not attempt to deny what she had done; but said it was very well for the likes of me, who never knew the want of anything, to come and preach to poor folks about honesty. But still, though she kept up this kind of bravado, I saw that, as we talked on, she softened a little. I looked round the dark, dirty room, and said— “‘Alice, this room is very dark, and perhaps you think what passes in it is little noticed; but, indeed, there is a day coming, when everything that has been done or said, or even thought here, will be brought to light, and you will have to give an account to God for it all.’ “She clasped her hands together, and said— “‘Then that will be a dreadful day to me. I was born and brought up in the midst of curses and blows; and I have grown up to give curses and blows. You think it is quiet enough here now; but come here an hour or two later, and you would see what you never saw before. Why, bless you, I don’t think no more of knocking a man down, than I should of knocking that ere candlestick off the table;’ and as she suited ‘the action to the word,’ and raised her powerful arm, I could well believe this to be true. I said— “‘But surely you did not bring up your child in such a place as this?’ For I remembered that Esther was gentle and modest—the very reverse of her mother. “‘No, indeed, I did not,’ she replied. ‘When she was too little to leave me, I kept her out of the way as much as I could; and when she got older, I spent every penny I could get to pay _them_ for taking care of her, as knew the way to do it; and now I never let her come here, though I often go to see after her.’ “‘But why,’ I said, ‘did you not, for her sake, try to alter your home? Why did you not, then, give up your wicked companions, and bring her up yourself in a way you knew to be right?’ “‘Ah!’ she replied, ‘you are a lady, and don’t know nothing about such people as me. I have heard _God_ is powerful, but I know _Satan_ is; and we wicked people can’t get away from one another, as you think we can.’ I said— “‘Just now, when you were telling me about your early life, I was thinking you scarcely seemed to have had a chance of being better than you are; but I see now that God has not forgotten you. That little child was sent to awaken the voice of conscience and love in you; and if you had only listened to it, you might have saved yourself, as well as your child.’ “‘As we talked in this way; she wept very much; but said, that it was all now too late,—that God was her enemy, and there was no mercy for her. I said—