'She was better dead than alive'-- the letter went on--'after having disgraced her father and her relations.

As for the child, it was the child of sin, and had no claim on people who desired to preserve all that was left of their good name, and to set a moral example to others.

The parish must support it if nobody else would.

It would be useless to attempt to trace them, or to advertise again.

The baby's father had disappeared, they didn't know where; and they could hold no communication now with such a monster of wickedness, even if he was found.