Year: 1861

| CnaC we uau ucStI So1 OuahSou' oh" WI Z
not wishful to. Our rent was not much,
but we were rather put to it sometimes to
get it made up by the day, for our landlady
was very sharp upon her tenants, and If they
were ever so little behind hand, she gave
them notice directly.


set my wits to work how to get the money
to take Lettie to London; but all that night
no idea came to me, and the next day it was
the same. With two pair of hands we had
maintained ourselves decently but how was
it going to be now that there was only one
Rich folks little think how hard it is fol
many of us poor day-workers to live on oul
little earnings, much more to spare for ar
evil day.


| Sunday found me still undecided, but thai
was our holiday, and I meant to see Doctor
Nash myself while Lettie was gone to chapel
She had made herself very NICE for she had
modest pride in her looks, which becomes
girl. | thought her very pretty myself,
and so did the neighbors she had clear
small features, and psle color in her cheeks,
soft brown hair, and hazel eyes. 1t was not
easy to see that anything allied them, unless
you looked into them very closely, and then
there is dimness to be seen about them,
which might be disease She had put of
thinking about herself, and was as merry as
cricket when she went down the lane in
her white bonnet and clean muslin gown
She nodded to me q was watching her from
the doorway and smiled quite happily. !
was as proud of Lettie as ever my mother
had been. She was always such clever,
warm-hearted little thing, for all her high
temper.


When she was fairly gone, and the church
bells ceased, [ dressed myself in haste, and
set off into the town to see Doctor Nash
He was at home, and the man showed me
into the surgery, where I had to wait may
be an hour. When the doctor came in, he
asked sharply why I could not have put of
my visit till Monday; was my business SC
pressing? He did not consider how pre-
cious were the work-days to US, or may be
he would not have spoken so-for he was a
benevolent man, was. we had every reason
to know; he having attended our mother
through her last illness as carefully as il
she had been rich lady, though we could
never hope to pay him. | explained what
[ had come about and he softened then, but
Eaa!a F;m5a1f' net alt s1s-@ ha-Aad told La+tia


"She has been with me three or four
times" he said. ''She is an interesting
little girl; it is great pity, but [ do not
think her sight can be saved-I don't in.
deed, Jane"


He explained to me why he was of this
opinion, and how the disease would advance,
more lengthily than needs to be set down
here Then he said he could get her ad-
mitted into the Blind Institution if we liked
and that must keep her well, and send he,
out of doors constantly. And SO went
home again. with very little hope left as you
may we'll think, after what had heard.
| [ did not tell Lettie where [ had been
and she never suspected There was nc
chapel that afternoon, and we were getting
ready to take walk along the river bank
as we generally did on fine Sundays, Col
all the town went there; and it freshened us
up to see the holiday people far more thar
if we had stopped at home reading our books
as many say it is only right to do,) wher
one of our neighbors came in with her son
Mrs. Crofts was a widow, and Harry was
studying medicine with Doctor Nash. They
were both kind friends of ours; and, between
Lettie and the young man, there had beer
for ever so long sort of boy and girl liking
but I do not think they had spoken to eacl
other yet. Lettie colored up when Harry
appeared, and went into the garden to show
him, she said, the white moss-rose that wa
full Of bloom by the kitchen window; bu
they stayed whispering over it so long, tina
[ did not think it was only that they were
talking about Then Harry went out at the
gate looking downcast and vexed, and Let
tie came back into the house with queel
wild look in her face that I did not like
Mrs. Crofts said els Harry gone % ant
my sister made her short answer, and wen
into the bedroom.


Harry is going up to London very soon
I shall be glad to have the examination
over and him settled. Doctor Nash thinks
very we'll Of him !; he is good young fel
low jane I replied that he had Away
been favorite of mine, and I hoped h,
would do we'll; but listening for Lettie
coming to us, perhaps seemed rather colo
and stiff for Mrs Crofts asked if was no
we'll, or if there was anything on my mind
so told her about poor Lettie's sight.


''Pve seen no appearance of blindness
Harry never said word You don't think
it can be true % she asked. I did not know
what to think. I was sure that, in tha
whispering over the rose tree, my sister hao
told young Mr. Crofts; and I wished his
mother would go away, that [ might com
fort her. At last she went Then I called
to Lettie, who came at once. She had been
fretting but, as she tried to hide it, I made
no remark, and we went down the lane to
the river meadows in silence. The first
person we met was Harry Crofts. Lettie
seemed put out when he joined US, and turn
ed back. She stayed behind, and was pre-
sently in company with our landlady, Mrs.
Davis, who was taking the. air in a little
wheeled chair drawn by footman Mrs
Davis had always noticed Lettic Harry
trnt re bod 10.