He could thankfully receive
her hospitality now, and claim the kindness and shelter which this old
friend gave him. No one could be more anxious to make him comfortable.
The air of Brighton did him the greatest good; he had found some old
friends, some old Bengalees there, with whom he enjoyed himself greatly,
etc. How much did we, who knew his noble spirit, believe of this story?
To us Heaven had awarded health, happiness, competence, loving children,
united hearts, and modest prosperity. To yonder good man, whose long life
shone with benefactions, and whose career was but kindness and honour,
fate decreed poverty, disappointment, separation, a lonely old age. We
bowed our heads, humiliated at the contrast of his lot and ours; and
prayed Heaven to enable us to bear our present good fortune meekly, and
our evil days, if they should come, with such a resignation as this good
Christian showed.
I forgot to say that our attempts to better Thomas Newcome's money
affairs were quite in vain, the Colonel insisting upon paying over every
shilling of his military allowances and retiring pension to the parties
from whom he had borrowed money previous to his bankruptcy.
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