Year: 1860

all was right, an 10 find out where be coui


alter and improve. After this had gon


on for short time, Joe Mappin asked fc


Margaret in an uncouth way, strangel


softened, like mastiff partly mesmeriset


The lady rang the bell and Margare


came. 1t seemed to be the usual way il


which she was summoned when the bro
| ker was there, for she came at once, with


out giving the servant time to call her,
She also showed the most unaffected graf
itude and love for the old man, running u


to him and taking his hand calling hin
Dear joe as if she meant what she
what she said. ss..-.


'And there is nothing that the little la


dy wants : said Joe, patting her head an'


rubbing down her curls, Has she gown


and bonnets enough, lady for you know


she has but to ask and have


why Joe, l don't wear such frock il


a week said Margaret laughing: and il


was only last Tuesday that you gave m,


that beauty, though hadn't yet hal


worn my blue silk.


Joe Mappin drew her between his knee.
and held her face in his hands. 'Silve


and gold isn't good enough for you both


be said with almost passion Of feryor il
his voice; never stint yourself for fear Of
me-


But they both said again that they had
all they could require, 'even if they were
princesses in fairy tower Margaret ad


ded and when this assurance had been re.
peated to almost wearisome number ol
times, Joe Mappin was content, and re-
lapsed into silence again. And there he
sat till the last rays Of the sun had gone,
and candles bad been brought-they were
of the finest wax, you may be sure-a Pc
culiar expression of tenderness on his mas
tiff face, as he was reading sweet chapter
loyingly-listening to noble song admi-
ringly. And then when he was quite
muffled up in his greasy old cloak, as he
and come, had hobbled automatically when
be came near his own quarters.
This then, was the brokers' secret, and
this was its history.


About fifteen years Joe MappiD, almost
an old man even then, was called to seize
the goods of certain Thornton living a,
the West End. The Captain was one of
those gay, reckless, loveable men, who. by
dint of sheer animal magnetism, lived for
years on credit, and only brought to ac-
count when il becomes matter of life and
death to some ofthe poorer creditors, those
creditors are sorry for their debtor as if it
were themselves going to the Queens
Bench, and accusing themselves bitterly
the tender hearted at least-for the trouble
they are bringing on him. Joe Mappin
the hardest of his profession, the iron heart
ed, grasping broker, who was believed not
to have a single human feeling, even he
was touched by the gallant frankness, and
gracious manner of his victim, and as for
his wife, that noble, patient, glorious, wo-
man, with her little one her arms-some-
thing rose up in bis heart for her which he
had never felt in his life before.


II was ap infinite yearning worship, such
as be had read of in novels of the libraries
he had seized, but which he always tho't
trash, and the mere mouthings of author
fools. He felt now, for the first time,
that there was such thing in the human
heart as Love-the love of beauty, the
love of virtue for PHYS sake. - NJ,


Captain Thornton was carried off to the
Queens Bench, and after a short term of
Imprisonment died suddenly of apoplexy.
He had lived too freely and taken too little
exercise; and being one of those fair hair
ed men of sanguine temperament, who re-
quire abstinence and more, who love idle
ness and luxury, he had met the fate any
medical man would have predicted. His
wife and child were thus left alone in the
world and penniless. The broker had new
er lost sight of them. Gifts from an un-
known hand. money, clothing, and even
food had kept Mrs. Thornton from want
all the more welcome, as BY her marriage
she had displeased her relatives, who per-
haps are not sorry now to avoid maintain
ing her. When The Captain died then
Joe Mappin came forward openly. He
told her he had lived an Ishmaelite life,
without pity and without love; he told her
how she had reused feelings in him-feel-
ings of reverence for humanity, such as he
had never known before; and the old man
bowed himself before her as to superior
being, and besought of her the privilege of
maintaining her and child, -.-.-


He wanted nothing, he said, but TO
know to know that they were happy, and
sometimes to hear them say SO. He had
not relation in the world to whom be
could leave his money-no one that they
would wrong by taking il; he had boarded
because it was his nature to hoard; but he
never knew for what end be had saved
Now he should have saved for Heaven, if
she would accept her life on these easy
TERMS They were not hard! and if she
objected to his going to see her, he would
not. Indeed, indeed, it was her happiness,
and that sweet baby's-not his own-he |
cared for, in the offers! |


What could she do, that gentlewoman
without friends or fortune, or the means of
earning her own subsistence. What could |
she do but look at her child, hold out both
her hands to that strange old man, and |
burst into tears Of gratitude and shame,
and sorrow, all mixed up together, as she |
faltered out Yes and took her fate from
his hands. She understood the truth of
bis feelings, and was herself too noble 10 |
assume false dignity which would have
been less dignified than the acceptance of |