24 IMPROVERS AND IMPROVEMENT. 



the subject, in that part of the kingdom, she had done her duty to 

 bring them up dacently and honestly : the only family affliction she 

 had known since the death of her husband was the marriage of her 

 only daughter to a private of the Tenth Infantry, whom (to the 

 great distress of her mother) she was obliged to accompany abroad, 

 his regiment being ordered to the Mediterranean. 



The family forbore to call upon Biddy till she had been rather 

 more than a fortnight in office. On this their first visit, they found 

 but few delinquencies from cleanliness and neatness, and they were, 

 on the whole, very well satisfied with the appearance of things. 

 The old woman complained that it gave her a world of trouble to 

 make fires in the grate, and that she could scarcely ever get them to 

 burn. She also said something about having had a touch of the 

 rheumatism : but she had that morning received a letter from her 

 daughter ; a circumstance which made her so happy, that she nearly 

 forgot all disagreeables. First she told the contents of the letter 



to Lady A , dwelling upon them in a simple and affectionate 



manner ; and at length she gave her the letter to read ; and the fol- 

 lowing is a correct copy of it : 



" My dear Mother, " 



" 1 hope this will find you in good elth, as it leaves us at present, 

 that is Mick, and me, and the child ; we call her Biddy after you. 

 We heard a report here, that you were dead, but dear, dear mother, 

 I hope it is not true, for, if it was, I think you 'd have written to tell 

 me. We are now at Corfu, our Redgment was ordered here from 

 Malta last December, and I should like this place best, but in re- 

 gard of its being farther off old Ireland. Dear mother I send you 

 in this letter, Mick and me arm-in-arm; it was one Corprol Reilly 

 we got to draw our picturs, for I thought you might like to look 

 upon me, when I am far away out of your sight; and by the same 

 token I shall put in a small little bit of the child's hair, she has left 

 off caps, the weather is so warm here, and indeed her hair grows 

 iligantly. The pretty gownd you bought for me yi Cork, (for Biddy 

 had accompanied her child to the place of embarkation, and had 

 stripped herself of her last shilling to assist in equipping her daugh- 

 ter for the voyage,) I have had made by one of the Sergeants' 

 wives, I shall take great care of it, as quite a bettermost thing, till 

 the time comes that I see you again. Is my cousin Mary and Tim 

 Shea married yet ? Does Dick Hefferrnan ever ask after me? I hope 

 my uncle Pat is not having the colic so bad this winter, as he had 

 last. Give my love to all that enquire about me, and believe me, 

 dear mother, till death, 



" Your truly loving daughter, 



" PEGGY RYAN. 



" P.S. In regard of the report mentioned at the top of the letter, 

 send me word if it 's true immadiately, for neither Mick or me had a 

 wink of sleep after hearing it." 



The ladies returned home much gratified, after participating the 

 pleasure of their humble neighbour. 



