TheillnessofthatoldladyhadbeentheoccupationandperhapsthesafeguardofAmelia。Whatdomenknowaboutwomen’smartyrdoms？Weshouldgomadhadwetoendurethehundredthpartofthosedailypainswhicharemeeklybornebymanywomen。Ceaselessslaverymeetingwithnoreward；constantgentlenessandkindnessmetbycrueltyasconstant；love，labour，patience，watchfulness，withoutevensomuchastheacknowledgementofagoodword；allthis，howmanyofthemhavetobearinquiet，andappearabroadwithcheerfulfacesasiftheyfeltnothing。Tenderslavesthattheyare，theymustneedsbehypocritesandweak。
FromherchairAmelia’smotherhadtakentoherbed，whichshehadneverleft，andfromwhichMrs。OsborneherselfwasneverabsentexceptwhensherantoseeGeorge。Theoldladygrudgedhereventhoserarevisits；
she，whohadbeenakind，smiling，good-naturedmotheronce，inthedaysofherprosperity，butwhompovertyandinfirmitieshadbrokendown。HerillnessorestrangementdidnotaffectAmelia。Theyratherenabledhertosupporttheothercalamityunderwhichshewassuffering，andfromthethoughtsofwhichshewaskeptbytheceaselesscallsoftheinvalid。Ameliaboreherharshnessquitegently；smoothedtheuneasypillow；wasalwaysreadywithasoftanswertothewatchful，querulousvoice；soothedthesuffererwithwordsofhope，suchasherpioussimpleheartcouldbestfeelandutter，andclosedtheeyesthathadoncelookedsotenderlyuponher。
Thenallhertimeandtendernessweredevotedtotheconsolationandcomfortofthebereavedoldfather，whowasstunnedbytheblowwhichhadbefallenhim，andstoodutterlyaloneintheworld。Hiswife，hishonour，hisfortune，everythinghelovedbesthadfallenawayfromhim。TherewasonlyAmeliatostandbyandsupportwithhergentlearmsthetottering，heart-brokenoldman。
Wearenotgoingtowritethehistory：itwouldbetoodrearyandstupid。IcanseeVanityFairyawningoveritd’avance。