Miss Bridget blessed herself, and said, “For
her part, she should never hereafter entertain a good
opinion of any woman.” For Jenny before
this had the happiness of being much in her good graces
also.
The prudent housekeeper was again dispatched to bring
the unhappy culprit before Mr Allworthy, in order,
not as it was hoped by some, and expected by all,
to be sent to the house of correction, but to receive
wholesome admonition and reproof; which those who relish
that kind of instructive writing may peruse in the
next chapter.
Containing such grave matter, that the reader cannot
laugh once through the whole chapter, unless peradventure
he should laugh at the author.
When Jenny appeared, Mr Allworthy took her into his
study, and spoke to her as follows: “You
know, child, it is in my power as a magistrate, to
punish you very rigorously for what you have done;
and you will, perhaps, be the more apt to fear I should
execute that power, because you have in a manner laid
your sins at my door.
“But, perhaps, this is one reason which hath
determined me to act in a milder manner with you:
for, as no private resentment should ever influence
a magistrate, I will be so far from considering your
having deposited the infant in my house as an aggravation
of your offence, that I will suppose, in your favour,
this to have proceeded from a natural affection to
your child, since you might have some hopes to see
it thus better provided for than was in the power of
yourself, or its wicked father, to provide for it.
I should indeed have been highly offended with you
had you exposed the little wretch in the manner of
some inhuman mothers, who seem no less to have abandoned
their humanity, than to have parted with their chastity.
It is the other part of your offence, therefore, upon
which I intend to admonish you, I mean the violation
of your chastity;—a crime, however lightly
it may be treated by debauched persons, very heinous
in itself, and very dreadful in its consequences.
“The heinous nature of this offence must be
sufficiently apparent to every Christian, inasmuch
as it is committed in defiance of the laws of our
religion, and of the express commands of Him who founded
that religion.
“And here its consequences may well be argued
to be dreadful; for what can be more so, than to incur
the divine displeasure, by the breach of the divine
commands; and that in an instance against which the
highest vengeance is specifically denounced?
“But these things, though too little, I am afraid,
regarded, are so plain, that mankind, however they
may want to be reminded, can never need information
on this head. A hint, therefore, to awaken your
sense of this matter, shall suffice; for I would inspire
you with repentance, and not drive you to desperation.
“There are other consequences, not indeed so
dreadful or replete with horror as this; and yet such,
as, if attentively considered, must, one would think,
deter all of your sex at least from the commission
of this crime.
