, 1842-03-19

did not know she was crying, till I saw the tears
dropping on her hands; and then l said bad words;
and mother sent mt to stand in the corner"
"Tell me what your bad words were, John"
said his father; ''not swearing, Ihope?"
"No,' said John, c~oloring; l said: you were a
bad man! said, bad, father!"
"And they were bad words, l IN sure" said
his mother; ''but you are forgiven; ST. now bring
me some coal from the box"
George looked at the face of his wife; and as
he met the tender gaze of her mild eyes now
turned to him, he felt the tears rise in his own.
he rose up, and putting money into her hands,
he said, "There are my weeks wages. Come,
come, hold out both hands, for you have not got
all yet. Lay it out for the best, as you always
do. hope this will be a beginning of better do
ings, on my part, and happier days on yours"
George told his wife, after the children were
gone to bed, that when he saw what the pence
of the poor could do towards keeping up a fine
house, and dressing out the landlords wife and
daughters, and when he thought of his own hard
working, accomplishing Sarah, and his children
IN want, and almost in rags, while he was sitting
drinking, night after night, destroying his health
and strength: he was so struck with sorrow and
shame, that he seemed to come to himself at last.
He determined, from that hour, never again 10
put the intoxicating glass to his lips.
More than a year afterwards, one Sunday af-
ternoon, as Mrs. Crowder of the Punch Bowl,
was walking with her daughters to the tea gar
dens, they were overtaken by a violent shower
of rain; and had become at least half-drenched
when they entered a comfortable house, distin-
guished by its comforts and tidinesss from all
others near it. It's good natured mistress and
her two daughters did all they could to dry and
wipe away the rain drops and mud splashes from
the ladies' fine silk gowns, all ~draggled and soil
ed, and to repair, as far as possible, every mis-
chief done to their dresses and persons.
When all had been done that could be done,
and, as Miss Lucy said, they 'began to look like
themselves again." Mrs. Crowder, who was lol-
ling in a large arm chair, and amusing herself by
a stare at every one and everything in the room,
suddenly started forward, and addressing herself
to the master of the house, whose Bible and
whose face had just caught her eye-"Why, my
good man, we are old friends. | know your face,
I'm certain; still there is some change in you,
though l can't exactly say what it is"
IL used 10 be in ragged clothes and out o.
health,' said George Manly smiling; snow, thank
God, | am c%omfortly clad, and in excellent health"
"But how is it," said Mrs. Crowder, "that we
never catch a sight of you now?"
Madam said he, 81 am sure | wish you
well-nay, | have reason TO thank you; for
words of yours first opened my eyes to my own
foolish and wicked course. My wife and child
rem were half-naked and half only this
time last year. Look at them, if you please,
now; for sweet, contented looks, and decent
clothes, I'll match them with any mans wife and
children. And now madam, l tell you, as you
told a friend of yours one day last year-hs the
Fools Pence that hare done all This for us. The
FOOLS pence! I ought rather to say, the pence
earned by honest industry; and spent so that we
can ask the blessing of God upon the pence"
Mrs. Crowder never recovered the customer
she had lost.-Souh Lit. Mes.