Amelia (Penguin Classics) Book

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: " Oh, the villains !" cries Mrs. Atkinson, " what a stratagem was here to take away your husband !" "Take away!" answered the child. "What! hath anybody taken away papa ? Sure that naughty fibbing man hath not taken away papa ?" Amelia begged Mrs. Atkinson to say something to her children, for that her spirits were overpowered. She then threw herself into a chair, and gave a full vent to a passion almost too strong for her delicate constitution. The scene that followed, during some minutes, is beyond my power of description ; I must beg the readers' hearts to suggest it to themselves. The children hung on their mother, whom they endeavored in vain to comfort, as Mrs. Atkinson did in vain attempt to pacify them, telling them all would be well, and they would soon see their papa again. At length, partly by the persuasions of Mrs. Atkinson, partly from consideration of her little ones, and more, perhaps, from the relief which she had acquired by her tears, Amelia became a little composed. Nothing worth notice passed in this miserable company from this time till the return of Mrs. Ellison from the bailiffs house ; and to draw out scenes of wretchedness to too great a length is a task very uneasy to the writer, and for which none but readers of a most gloomy complexion will think themselves ever obliged to his labors. At length Mrs. Ellison arrived, and entered the room with an air of gayety rather misbecoming the occasion. When she had seated herself in a chair she told Amelia that the captain was very well and in good spirits, and that he earnestly desired her to keep up hers. " Come, madam," said she, " don't be disconsolate ; I hope we shall soon be able to get him out of his troubles. The debts, indeed, amount to more than I expected ; however, ways may be found ...Read More