Year: 1878

piled the invalid, drawing herself up al
little. Ingratitude is a vice of lowi
minds. / never forget benefit. That
child's mother nursed me like q sister,
no, not like any sister L ever had, like
an angel, L should say. To be sure she,
was hired but that signifies nothing.
Money doesn't buy affection, nor such
tender care as she gave me. For two
nights suffered agonies, and yet moth
ing could be done for me. l have suffer
ed so before and since, and my nurse al
ways goes to sleep. What Is the use of
remaining awake when nothing can be
done2 So while L groan, she snores.
But Mrs. Paulier was different. She sat
by me, she spoke softly and soothingly,
she wiped the perspiration from my face,
she made me think that there was one,
at least, who could not sleep while L
suffered. No child could be more ten
der to mother. Besides, though she
had wages, she was not common per-
son, she was lady. L know a lady
when see her, and Mrs. Pauier was of
BChllC DlOOus CllC DOlC dll tllC bthS.
There wasn't coarse fibre in her. In
deed, she intimated as much to me, and
gave me clearly to understand that with
her nursing, was labor of love and that
she wouldn't take care of everybody.


&C 1 suppose she went to those who
sent for her." said the housekeeper,
somewhat stiffiy, feeling herself touch
ed by those distinctions of gentle and
plebeian in those who work for a liv-
ing.


By no means!" replied Miss Fair
field, with spirit. "She was friend of
Doctor Malcome's, in the city, and he
mentioned to her any places where he
thought she would like to go. 1t hap
pened oddly enough that he died while
she was here. think he knew about
her family and affairs, and would have
done something for the child if he had
lived. She had only been out to nurse
twice before she came here, once to poor
dear Mrs. Gen. Summerville when she
broke her leg getting out of her car
riage, and once to Mrs. Governor Small
ley's when she lost her little girl. In
both cases there was a servant to do
work under the nurse, and Mrs. Paulier
was quite like one Of the family"


sit was an awful thing" said the
house-keeper, irrelevantly.


Miss Fairfield shuddered.


"Yes," she said, following the others
tack. "And think that apothecary
ought to have been arrested, and so L
told Cousin Barbara and Doctor Mars
ton. But they didn't like the eclat of
such thing. If anything should hap
pen to bring the matter out, it would
have an awkward look. 1t certainly
was our duty to complain"


I'm sure Mrs. Burkhardt did every
thing that could be DONE" the house
keeper said, testify. "It would have
been putting herself out good deal to
have trial, and it would have been q
shame for such lady to have to go into
court and testify, and have her name in
the daily papers, and be questioned and
cross-questioned by lawyers. Besides, ii
would have done no good. Then, that
poor Mr.. Somes never put up dose OF
medicine afterward, and he almost went
crazy about the mistake he had made
Tom Somes says it was the death OF
him."


" But supposing the trial had been
dropped" Miss Fairfield said, yielding
to these arguments ; "there was no need
of sending that dear child to the poor
house. 1t was a shame, if Cousin Bar
bara did do it. That little girl was just
what want, and would have been like
an own daughter to me. If / could walk,
1 would have gone to see her this very
day."


The housekeeper said nothing. She
was jealous of this child whom both
her mistress and Miss Fairfield seemed
to make of far too much consequence
but she knew too well how very much
stronger Miss Fairfield was in promise
than in performance, and had little fear
of visitation of paupers.


6 feel so uneasy" the invalid said
again after silence; g do believe am
superstitious about that child and her
mother. 1t seems as though they haunt
me. Let us have tea, Mrs. Conners, and
see if that will drive off these vapors. y


The curtains were drawn away to let
in all the soft May twilight, and q
round table was set up to the invalid's
| sofa. The housekeener rang q bell and