The constitutional union., 1860-11-30


 A lady, still beautiful and still young young at least for the mother of child of if teen-was sitting there embroidering Sur rounded by every beauty and every luxury nestled in that lonely house, like a bird in a golden cage-how strange the change which had thrown together anything so graceful as that lady and the old Jew broker Y ct they were well acquainted, they were even friends; for she rose when he entered, and advanced toward him kindly, and shook hands with him, and petted him as woman only can pet, without any visible overt act. But all that Joe seemed to wish for WIS to sit a little while and watch her as she bent over her embroide- ry, and to hear again that she was contented and happy,
 Are you certain, sure that you want for nothing /" inquired Joe, "n nor Miss Margaret neitherW
 "Nothing, Joe, nothing" and the sweet lady looked up afectionately, as if she had spoken to father
 That's enough, that is all want" nut tered Joe, and then he went back into the depths of his quiet mcditations watching the lady's face, and every now and then glmcing round the room as if to see that all was right and to find out where he could alter and im- prove. After this had gone on for q short time, Joe Mappin asked for Margaret in an mcouth way, strangely softened, like mas tiff partly mcsmerized. The lady rang the bell, and Margaret came It seemed to be the usual way in which she was summoned when the broker gas there, for she came at once, without giving the servant time to call her. She also showed the most unaffected gratitude and love for the old man, running up to him, and taking his hand and calling him, Dear Joe, as if she meant it,
 And there is nothing that the little lady wantS| said Joe. batting her head and smooth ing down her curls Has she gowns and bonnets enough, lady? fer you know she has but to ask and to have"
 Why, Joe don't wear such a frocl, in a week. :" said Margaret, laughing; and it was only last week that you gave that beauty, though 1 hadn't yet half worn my blue silk" 7"
 Joe Mappin drew her between his knees, and heId::her face in his hands. Silver and gold isn't good enough for you both v he said, with almost q passion of leryor in his voice ; '' so ncyerstint yourself for fear of ne"
 But they both said again they had all they could require. " even if they were prince..cs. in a iairy tower,' Margaret added; and when this assurance had been repeated to almost a WearisOme number of times Joe Mappin was content and so rclapsed into silence again. And there he sat. till the last rays of the sun had gone, and candles had been brought ! they were of the finest Wax. you may be sure -a peculiar expression of tende ness on his ma,,iH face, as he Was reading q sweet chap ter Ioyin4iy-listcniug to d noble song admir- inoly. And then when he was quite muiiled up in his greasy old cloak, as he had come. and hobblcd automatically when he came nelr quarters.
 This. then, was the brokers secret. and this was its history:
 About fifteen years ae5 Joe Harpin, almos, an old man even then, Was called to seize the goods of a certain Captain Thornton, living at the West End. The Captain was one of those gay, reckless, lovcgble men. who, by dint of sheer animal magnetism, live for years on credit and are only brought to account when 1t becomes a matter of lie and death to some of the poorer creditoYs-those creditors are sorry for their debtor as if 1t were them ! selves going to the Queen's bench. and accus- ing themselves bitterly-thc tendcr-heatcd at Ieast-ior the trouble they are bringing on him. Joe Mappn, the hardest of his proie,- sion, the iron-hearted, gra~ping broker. who was believed not to have a single human feel ing, even he Was touched by the gallant frank ness, and gracious manner of his victim. and as for his wife, that noble patient. glorious woman, with her little one in her arms something rose up in his heart for her which he had never felt in his lie before It was an infinite yearnng worship; such as he had read of in the novels of the libraries he had seized but which he always thought trash and the mere mouthings of author fools He felt now, for the first tune, there was such a thing in the human heart as loye-thc love of beauty, the love of virtue, love for pity $ sake.
 Captain Thornton was carried off to the Queen bench, and, after short term of i'm prisonment, died suddenly of apopIexy. He had lived too freely and had taken to little cx- ercse. and being one of those air-haircd men of sanguine temperament, who require absti- hence and work, and who love idleness and luxury, he had met the fate any medical man would have predicted lis wife and child were thus lett alone in the world and penny less. The broker had never lost sight of them Gifts from all unknown hand, money, cloth ing, and even food, had kept Mrs Thornton from want all the more welcome, as by hcl marriage, she had dispIeased her relatives who were, perhaps, not sorry for this excuse to avoid maintaining her. When the Cap tain died then Joe Mappin came forward openly He told her he had lived an Ishmaeltt life, without pity and without love; he tolc her how she adroused feelings in hin-fcel i ings of reverence for humanity, such as ht had not known before; and the old man l bowed himself before her as to superior be- l ing, and besought of her the privilege o maintaining her and her child. He wanted | nothing, he said but to know that they were happy, and sometimes to hear them Say so ! He had not a relative in the world to whom he could leave his money-not one that they would wrong by taking 1t; he had hoardeC | because 1t was his nature to hoard but h( never knew to what end he saved. Now ht should have saved for heaven, if she would accept her life on these easy terms They were so hard and if they objected to his go ing to see her. he would not Indeed, indeed | 1t was her haDDiness and that sweet haby s