many's the time we've all cried in the kitchen abouthush!" he stopped, and looked towards the stairs apprehensively; "never mind, ma'am, it's nobody! But won't you come down and sit in the housekeeper's room! I'm sure the good old soul will rather like to see you, and then, you know, you can slip out of the area gate and be gone in no time!"

"No, Joseph," replied Mrs. Elliott, with as much energy as her weakness would admit of, "I will wait outside the street door if you think there is any danger, while you go and get this letter taken up stairs, and say I am waiting for an answer!" He took the letter, held it in his hand hesitatingly, and shook his head.

"Oh, take it, good Joseph !" said Mrs. Elliott, with a look that would have softened a heart of stone; "it is only to ask for mourning for my mother! I have not money to purchase any!" His eyes filled with tears.

"My poor dear young mistress!" he faltered; his lip quivered, and he paused. "It's more than my place is worth; but, I'll take it, nevertheless-that I will, come what will, ma'am! See if I don't! You see, ma'am," dropping his voice, and looking towards the staircase, "it isn't so much the old gentleman, after all, neither, but it's it's Miss Gubbley that I'm afraid of! It is she, in my mind, that keeps him so cruel hard against you ! She has it all her own way, here! You should see how she orders us servants about, ma'am, and has her eyes into everything that's going on; but I'll go and take the letter anyhow; and don't you go out of doors, unless you hear me cry 'hem!' on the stairs!" She promised to attend to this hint, as did also the female servant whom he left with her, and Joseph disappeared. The mention of Miss Gubbley excited the most painful and disheartening thoughts in the mind of Mrs. Elliott. Possibly it was now the design of this woman to strike a grand blow, and force herself into the place so recently vacated by poor Mrs. Hillary! Mrs. Elliott's heart beat fast, after she had waited for some minutes

in agonizing anxiety and suspense, as she heard the footsteps of Joseph hastily descending the stairs. "Well, Joseph," she whispered, looking eagerly at him.

"I can't get to see master, ma'am, though I've tried; I have, indeed, ma'am! I thought it would be so! Miss Gubbley has been giving it me, ma'am: she says it will cost me my place to dare to do such an audacious thing again-and I told her you was below here, ma'am, and she might see you; but she tossed her head, and said it was of a piece with all your other shameful behaviour to your poor, broken-hearted father, she did, maʼam”-Mrs. Elliott began to sob bitterly-"and she wouldn't on any account whatsoever have him shocked at such a sad time as this, and that she knows it would be no use your coming"-his voice quivered"and she says as how" he could hardly go on"you should have thought of all this long ago; and that only a month ago she heard master say it was all your own fault if you come to ruin, and as you'd made your bed you must lie on it--her very words, maʼam; but she's sent you a couple of guineas, ma'am, on condition that you don't, on no account, trouble master again; and—and," he continued, his tears overflowing, "I've been so bold as to make it three, ma'am ; and I hope it's no offence, ma'am, me being but a ser vant," trying to force something, wrapped up in paper, into the hand of Mrs. Elliott, who had listened motionless and in dead silence to all he had been saying.

Joseph!" at length she exclaimed, in a very low but distinct and solemn tone, stretching out her hands, "if you don't wish to see me die--help me, help me--to my knees!" And with his assistance, and that of the female servant, she sank gently down upon her knees upon the floor, where he partly supported her. slowly clasped her hands together upon her bosom, and looked upward; her eye was tearless, and an awful expression settled upon her motionless features. Joseph involuntarily fell upon his knees beside her, sha

She

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king like an aspen leaf, his eyes fixed instinctively upon hers, and the sobs of several of the servants, who had stolen silently to the top of the kitchen stairs, to gaze at this strange scene, were the only sounds that were audible. After having remained in this position for several minutes, she rose from her knees slowly and in silence.

"When will my mother be buried?"

"Next Saturday," whispered Joseph, "at two o'clock."

"Where?"

"At St. -'s, ma'am."

"Farewell, Joseph! You have been very kind," said she, rising and moving slowly to the door.

"Won't you let me get you a little of something warm, ma'am? You do look so bad, ma'am, so pale, and I'll fetch it from down stairs in half a minute."

"No, Joseph, I am better! and Mr. Elliott is waiting for me at the outside."

"Poor gentleman!" sobbed Joseph, turning his head aside, that he might dash a tear from his eye. He strove again to force into her hand the paper containing the three guineas, but she refused.

"No, Joseph, I am very destitute, but yet Providence will not let me starve. I cannot take it from you; hers I will not, I ought not!"

With this the door was opened; and with a firmer step than she had entered the house, she quitted it. Her husband, who was standing anxiously at one or two door's distance, rushed up to her, and with tremulous and agitated tone and gestures inquired the result of her application, and placing his arm around her, for he felt how heavily she leaned against him, gently led her towards home. He listened with the calmness of despair to her narrative of what had taken place. "Then there is no hope for us THERE," he muttered through his half-closed lips.

"But there is hope, dearest, with Him who invites the weary and the heavy laden; who seems to have

withdrawn from us, but has not forsaken us," replied his wife, tenderly, and with unwonted cheerfulness in her manner. "I feel I know--he tells me that he will not suffer us to sink in the deep waters! He heard my prayer, Henry, and he will answer it, wisely and well! Let us hasten home, dearest. Our little Henry will be uneasy, and trouble Mrs.

Elliott listened to her in moody silence. His darkening features told not of the peace and resignation Heaven had shed into the troubled bosom of his wife, but too truly betokened the gloom and despair within. He suspected that his wife's reason was yielding to the long-continued assaults of sorrow; and thought of her approaching sufferings with an involuntary shudder, and sickened as he entered the scene of them-his wretched lodging. She clasped their smiling child with cheerful affection to her bosom; he kissed him-but coldly-absently-as it were, mechanically. Placing upon his forehead the silk shade which my wife had sent to him, at my request, the day before, as well to relieve his eyes, as to conceal their troubled expression, he leaned against the table at which he took his seat, and thought with perfect horror upon their circum

stances.

Scarce 201. now remained of the 6001. with which they were married; his wife's little earnings were to be of course for a while suspended; he was prohibited, at the peril of blindness, from the only species of employment he could obtain; the last ray of hope concerning Hillary's reconciliation was extinguished; and all this when their expenses were on the eve of being doubled or trebled.

It was well for Mrs. Elliott that her husband had placed that silk shade upon his forehead!

During his absence the next morning at the opthalmic infirmary, whither, at my desire, he went twice a week to receive the advice of Mr. the eminent oculist, I called and seized the opportunity of placing in Mrs. Elliott's hands, with unspeakable satisfaction,

the sum of 401., which my good wife had chiefly collected among her friends; and as Mrs. Elliott read, or rather attempted to read, for her eyes were filled with tears, the affectionate note written to her by my wife, who begged that she would send her little boy to our house till she should have recovered from her confinement, she clasped her hands together, and exclaimed -"Has not God heard my prayers! Dearest doctor! Heaven will reward you! What news for my poor heartbroken husband when he returns home from the infirmary-weary and disheartened!

*

*

"And now, doctor, shall I confide to you a plan I have formed?" said Mrs. Elliott, looking earnestly at me. "Don't try to persuade me against putting it into practice; for my mind is made up, and nothing can turn me from my purpose." I looked at her with surprise. "You know we have but this one room and the little closet-for what else is it?-where we sleep; and where must my husband and child be when I am confined? Besides, we cannot, even with all your noble kindness to us, afford to have proper-the most ordinary attendance." She paused-I listened anxiously.

"So I've been thinking-could you not"-she hesitated, as if struggling with violent emotion" could you not get me admitted"-her voice trembled-" into -the lying-in hospital?" I shook my head, unable at the moment to find utterance.

"It has cost me a struggle-Providence seems, however, to have led me to the thought! I shall there be no expense to my husband, and shall have, I understand, excellent attendance."

My poor dear madam," I faltered, "you must forgive me but I cannot bear to think of it." In spite of my struggles the swelling tears at length burst from my laden eyes. She buried her face in her handkerchief, and wept bitterly. My husband can hear of me every day, and, with God's blessing upon us, perhans in a month's time we may both meet in better

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