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90 Juvenile Letters.
"and returned in a short time with a very fine
"fish, which having caused to be half broiled
"upon some embers, she gave me for supper.
"The rites of hospitality being thus perform
"ed towards a stranger in distress, my worthy
"benefactress, pointing to the mat, and tell
"ing me I might sleep there without apprehen
"sion, called to the female part of her family, 
"who had stood gazing on me all the while
"in fixed astonishment, to resume their talk of 
"spinning cotton; in which they continued to 
"employ themselves great part of the night.
"They lightened their labour by songs; one
"of which was composed of extempore, for I
"was myself the subject of it. It was sung
"by one of the young women; the rest join
"ed in a sort of chorus. The air was sweet
"and plaintive, and the words, literally trans
"lated, were these. 'The winds roared, and 
"the rains fell. The poor white man, faint
"and weary, came and fat under our tree. He
"has no mother to bring him milk; no wife
"to grind his corn. Chorus. Let us pity the
"white man; no mother has he,' &c. &c. 
"Trifling

Juvenile Letters. 91
"Trifling as this recital may appear to the
"reader, to a person in my situation, the cir
"cumstance was affecting in the highest de
"gree. I was oppressed by such unexpected
"kindness, and sleep fled from my eyes. In
"the morning I presented my compassionate
"landlady with two of the four brass buttons
"which remained on my waistcoat, the only
"recompense I could maker her"
I am, with much esteem,
Dear Matiltda,
Your sincere friend,
LAURA LYTTLETON.
Miss Matilda Maitland.
P.S. The above Song, turned into English verse, reads thus:
I.
"The loud wind roar'd, the rain fell fast;
"The White Man yielded to the blast:
"He sat him down, beneath our tree,
"For weary, sad, and faint was he;
"And ah! no wife, or mother's care,
"For him, the milk or corn prepare.
CHORUS.

Transcription Notes:
---------- Reopened for Editing 2023-05-29 14:25:08