Pamela, Or Virtue Rewarded

DEAR FATHER AND MOTHER,

I have great trouble, and some comfort, to acquaint you with. The

trouble is, that my good lady died of the illness I mentioned to you,

and left us all much grieved for the loss of her; for she was a dear

good lady, and kind to all us her servants. Much I feared, that as I

was taken by her ladyship to wait upon her person, I should be quite

destitute again, and forced to return to you and my poor mother, who

have enough to do to maintain yourselves; and, as my lady's goodness

had put me to write and cast accounts, and made me a little expert at my

needle, and otherwise qualified above my degree, it was not every family

that could have found a place that your poor Pamela was fit for: but

God, whose graciousness to us we have so often experienced at a pinch,

put it into my good lady's heart, on her death-bed, just an hour before

she expired, to recommend to my young master all her servants, one by

one; and when it came to my turn to be recommended, (for I was sobbing

and crying at her pillow) she could only say,

My dear son!--and so broke off a little; and then recovering--Remember my poor Pamela--And these

were some of her last words! O how my eyes run--Don't wonder to see the

paper so blotted. Well, but God's will must be done!--And so comes the comfort, that I

shall not be obliged to return back to be a clog upon my dear parents!

For my master said, I will take care of you all, my good maidens; and

for you, Pamela, (and took me by the hand; yes, he took my hand before

them all,) for my dear mother's sake, I will be a friend to you, and you

shall take care of my linen. God bless him! and pray with me, my dear

father and mother, for a blessing upon him, for he has given mourning

and a year's wages to all my lady's servants; and I having no wages as

yet, my lady having said she should do for me as I deserved, ordered the

housekeeper to give me mourning with the rest; and gave me with his own

hand four golden guineas, and some silver, which were in my old lady's

pocket when she died; and said, if I was a good girl, and faithful and

diligent, he would be a friend to me, for his mother's sake. And so I

send you these four guineas for your comfort; for Providence will not

let me want: