that in which we now describe her. She came into the
world before so many good gentlemen and ladies began to concern
themselves so kindly, that the poor girl might have a little
learning. There was no charitable society then as there is now, to
pick up poor friendless children in the streets,[10] and put them
into a good house, and give them meat, and drink, and lodging, and
learning, and teach them to get their bread in an honest way, into
the bargain. Whereas, this now is often the case in London; blessed
be God, _who has ordered the bounds of our habitation_, and cast our
lot in such a country!

[10] The Philanthropic.

The longest thing that Betty can remember is, that she used to crawl
up out of a night cellar, stroll about the streets, and pick cinders
from the scavengers' carts. Among the ashes she sometimes found
some ragged gauze and dirty ribands; with these she used to dizen
herself out, and join the merry bands on the first of May. This was
not, however, quite fair, as she did not lawfully belong either to
the female dancers, who foot it gayly round the garland, or to the
sooty tribe, who, on this happy holiday, forget their year's toil in
Portman square, cheered by the tender bounty of her whose wit has
long enlivened the most learned, and whose tastes and talents long
adorned the most polished societies. Betty, however, often got a few
scraps, by appearing to belong to both parties. But as she grew
bigger and was not an idle girl, she always put herself in the way
of doing something. She would run of errands for the footmen, or
sweep the door for the maid of any house where she was known; she
would run and fetch some porter, and never was once known either to
sip a drop by the way, or steal the pot. Her quickness and fidelity
in doing little jobs, got her into favor with a lazy cook-maid, who
was too apt to give away her master's cold meat and beer, not to
those who were most in want, but to those who waited upon her, and
did the little things for her which she ought to have done herself.

The cook, who found Betty a dexterous girl, soon employed her to
sell ends of candles, pieces of meat and cheese, the lumps of
butter, or any thing else she could crib from the house. These were
all carried to her friend, Mrs. Sponge, who kept a little shop, and
a kind of eating-house for poor working people, not far from the
Seven Dials. She also bought as well as sold, many kinds of
second-hand things, and was not