il 
“49797. ] 
read an expreffion, and a circumftance, 
which fpeak fo well and fo finely. I 
fhall write the parts I allude to, and 
which, I may add, is afcene at which I 
' ‘Was prefent. 
“¢ Lavinia’s lodgings were about two 
miles from town, in an ob{cure fituation. 
I was fhowed up to a mean apartment, 
where Lavinia was fitting at work, and 
in a drefs which indicated the greateft 
economy.—I enquired what fuccefs the 
had met with in her dramatic purfuits ? 
She waved her head, and with a melan- 
choly fmile, replred, ‘* that her hopes of 
ever bringing any piece onthe ftage were 
now entirely over; for fhe found, that 
more intereft was neceffary for the pur- 
pofe than fhe could command; and that 
fhe had, for that reafon, laid afide her 
comedy forever.” While fhe was talk- 
ing, came ina favourite dog of Lavinia’s, 
which I had ufed to carefs. The crea- 
ture fprung to my arms, and’I received 
him with my ufual fondnefs. Lavinia 
ende2voured to conceal a tear, which 
trickled down her cheek. Afterwards 
the fays,** Now that I live entirely alonc, 
I fhow Juno more attention than I had 
ufed to do formerly. THE HEART 
WANTS SOMETHING TO BE KIND TO, 
—and it confoles us for the lofs of fo- 
ciety, to fee even an animal derive hap- 
pinefs from the endearments we beftow 
upon it.’’— 
THE HEART WANTS SOMETHING 
TO BE KIND TO !—O, eloquent truth ! 
What fenfibility in this {weet and fym- 
pathetic expreffion! Whar delicacy in 
‘the circumftance '—How muft it be ex- 
perienced by the forrowing and forfaken 
$emale, who, like Eliza Ryves, was 
Virtuous amidft her defpair, and evinced 
an heroic fortitude, while her foul fhud- 
dered with all the delicacy of a feminine 
foftnefs. : 
T have not yet finifhed what I have to 
obferve on this little volume. The au- 
thorefs, with the melancholy fagacity of 
genius, forefaw, and has defcribed her 
owndeath! The affecting manner of 
Lavinia's death, occafioned by a broken 
heart, was ftriétly that of Eliza Ryves ; 
in the fiétion, Lavinia. dies of a broken 
heart, occafioned by a difappointed patf- 
fion, and an individual negle& ; intruth, 
Eliza Ryves died of difappointment: and 
Ff2 
Tribute tothe Memory of Mifs Ryves. : 
2 as 
neglect ; and when the heart is literally 
broken, whether it was love, or grief, 
will fignify nothing. 
[ believe this volume procured no 
temporary aid to its authorets’s poverty. 
T have in vain fought for it in our jour- 
nals ; and not being rhere noticed, fhows, 
the extreme obfcurity with which it was 
uthered into the literary world: 
I fhall conclude thefe hafty recollec- 
tions with fomething that will intereft 
the reader of fenfibility with more pa- 
thos than I can afford. Mifs Ryves fa- 
voured me with the following ftanzas, a 
fhort time before her death, witha fig- 
nificant gefture, which too plainly ex- 
preffed, who was the object of her me- 
lancholy mufe. The verfe is very ele- 
gant and flowing; but the circumétance 
is much more interefting than the verfe : 
A SONG, sy ELIZA RYVES. 
A new-fallen lamb, as mild Emmeline patt, — 
In pity fhe turn’d to behold, 
How it fhiver’'d and fhrunk from the meicilefs 
biaft, 
Then fell all benumb’d with the cold. 
She rais’d it, and touch’d by the innocent’s fate, 
Its foft form to her bofom hhe prett ; 
But the tender relief was aff rded too late, 
It bleated, and died on her breait. 
The moralift then, as the corfe fhe refign’dy 
And, weeping, f{pring-flow’rs o'er it laid : 
Thus mufed, ‘*So it fares with the delicate 
mind, 
«© To the tempefts of fortune betray’d. 
«© Too tender, like thee, the rude flock to 
futtain, 
«¢ And deny’d the relief which would fave 5 
<6 *Tis loft, and when pity and kindnefs are 
vain 
«“ Thus we drefs the poor fufferer’s grave 
Thefe laft lines feem to reproach me, 
as I form thefe hafty recolleétions.—- 
Alas! I hardly knew thee—and now L 
know thee too late. Wain and impotent 
rite! J would now fcatter fome living 
rofes over the-pale afhes of the dead ! 
{7* 
#,* Communications for this Article ave to be 
addref]'d to the Ewtror oF THE PoRT 
Fouio, tothe care of Mr. Phillips, NQ. 7%» 
St, Paul's Church-yard. . Concife hterary 
StriGtures, and original Anecdotes, will be 
dcemed moft valuable. 
NEW 
