The suburban citizen., 1901-04-27

and gained her bread by giving music
or French lessons, to the somewhat
vulgar young people of the neighbor-
hood who, in this matter Of education.
wished to out-distance their fathers
and mothers. A laudable ambition
| and progress is the order of the day.
But to Il well-bOrn young woman Of
refined taste, this close touch with
rough humanity is somewhat of q
| trial.
1t is more than probable that Mrs.
| Latimer might have been successful in
| finding more congenial occupation if
| Maurice had been non-existent. But
she could not leave him alone; nor
could she afford a nursemaid, or en-
| trust him to the care of Mrs. Perkins,
the landlady, although she had hinted
at her willingness 10 make the 'little
| dear free OF her kitchen in the base
ment whenever his mother wished to
absent herself.
So, as Estelle Latimer could not so
out to give lessons to better class
children, she must perforce accept
those who would present themselves
in her sitting room and thumb out
exercises, scales, and simple melodies
upon the piano, whose tone and quail
ty may be imagined when the price
Of its hire eight shillings per MONTH
! is taken into consideration.
But the courage with which Estelle
had set to work was melting like snow
in sunshine. She was, so far, not
getting on. Despite all her economy
all her sacrifices, she was in arrears
! with her rent-not much, and Mrs
Perkins was not nasty" about it-and
few shillings were owing here and
there the sum total being very incon-
siderable, yet sufficient to cause
anxious days and sleepless nights.
SO though Mrs. Latimer did not
often indulge in the luxury of a pen
ny-or a half penny-newspaper she
had bought one for that January even
ing's reading, in the hope that it
would suggest something whicR she
might do as q means Of earning more,
and quicker.
1t was as it always is-plenty OF
situations offered, and plenty needed
yet few which seemed to present a
suitable opening to Inc person who
scans the list.
II Estelle had been eligible for mil
linery, OF as bar-maid; il she could
have declared herself experienced in
window dressing or in bookkeeping,
typewriting and shorthand she might
have ventured a few applications
But for just what she was and could
do, there seemed to be no demand;
and that penny newspaper would GER
tainly have been a dead loss, in her
case, if she had not happened to notice
that advertisement for child, which,
as we know, was inserted by the
wealthy Mrs. Ellison.
1t was only noticed, and a very casu-
al notice, at first. It seemed to her
mind odd" that a lady Of wealth
should have this desire for some
child not her own. Still more odd"
not TO say heartless, if any mother
gave up her little one to a stranger.
With that she pushed the paper
aside with a sigh, and turned to the
correcting of a French exercise writ
ten by one Of her pupils, who called
herself, and was called by her friends,
Miss Maude 'Awkins."
But when it was done, and the days
work was done too, Estelle Latimer
sat gazing into the freless CRATE and
also mentally, into the dark future Of
her little son, Maurice.
How could she rear and educate him
on her miserable earnings, as his faith
er would have wished? Even IL his
education was compassed, what lies
before a lad who has no money and
no powerful friends-eXcept perhaps
some ill.paid clerkship and a life of
struggling poverty to the end?
If only some one would take an in
terest in him' Such thngs-though
somewhat in the fancful line of fairy
godmothers-had been heard or and
proved true.
He was such a pretty fellow-so low
Ing, though a little quick tempered
| which was ever so much better than
| the sullenness of some children,
thought Estelle, with a mothers par
tiality even for the faillngs Of those
who are her very own
Then, with a half smile, she remem-
bered again that advertisement for a
child. Would not that lady Of wealth.
be delighted to get such boy as
| Maurice?
But that was not possible for no
child quite so sweet or so handsome
would be discovered and-well, MOI
not for all the money in the Bank of
England would she let her little son
go from her to an adopted mother!
With that, the subject ought natural.
ly to have passed from Mrs. Latimer's
mind. But It did not. 1t returned
again and again, and with such strong
lnsistence that she could not sleep for
hours. Was her love for her boy sell
fish? That was a tormenting ques-
! tion.
Estelle had fancied her curate- e-hus-