Year: 1877

of wheat lay beside her on the brick floor
She sighed from heat and weariness, but
the baby was restless, and she began to talk
to it in soothing tones, as with her foot she
kept gently and mechanically rocking the
cradle.


A young lady sat opposite to her. There
had been pause in their previous CONVEX
sation the mother interrupted it by push
ing the bundle of wheat further from her
and remarking that it was very small
one.


"Yes," said the young lady in soft
voice, ''it seems not much to have toiled
for a whole day and such a hot day!" As
she said this a sound Of distant singing
struck upon their ears; it was very bolster
Gus and unmelodious singing. Their eyes
met, and the young lady continued: ~
did not like to ask where John was
Martha; but I'm afraid, now he can leave
his bed again, he goes on in the old way"
The woman sighed, and, as a watt of
evening air made the drunkard's song
audible again, she rocked the cradle with a
quicker motion, and set her face with a
resolute expression, gazing at the still glow
ing sky.


Every note in that song seemed to cut
her to the heart; it was a sore subject, but
by silence only she answered the question /:
and when she lifted her apron to wipe her
tanned and heated face, she said, without
changing her attitude or withdrawing her
steady eyes from the sky, " / am kindly
obliged to your mother for the needle
work"


than working in the fields" said the girl.
The woman's foot moved more quickly
still; the song was too much for her, and
she threw her apron over her head and
soLbed.


Don't cry, Martha," said the girl COM
passionately, as she rose and quietly closed
the easement; "that does no good you
know, and only makes you feel the more" !"
The baby in the cradle threw up its
little arms and uttered cry; perhaps the
hasty movemement Of the mothers foot
had startled it. Nothing could be more
tender than the slightly broken voice in
which the poor woman soothed it saying,
" My dear jewel, hope thou'lt be happier
than am; l hope thoult never have a
drinking husband"


"She is going off to sleep again, Martha, .
said the girl, as she stopped over the
cradle.


Bless her." replied the mother, with a
sigh of fatigue; 81 hope she'll not have to
work as her mother does. When ] think
what it is-such hard life, such deal oi
labor to be brought up to, and such Ian.
guage to bear, and such coarse eating and
drinking-and as for covering-ah dear
think sometimes, as lie awake at nights
waiting until John comes home from the
ale-house-I think, though l love hel
better than all the world, would give hel
away from me if / knew any body that
wanted her, and could bring her ur
better"


''Give her awayl" said the young girl
with smile. No, that l am sure you
would not, Marthar


"CiiJ Il Ah6 W Lulilk Ol III returned
the mother; "but might find it hard to
do. However, somehow can't keep my
head from running on it sometimes; but
people don't like to have poor folks
children, so ] may wish as long as like.
Sometimes I've even wished that she had
been born to the rich instead of to me-"


"Whatp said the young lady, "would
you like to know now after all you have
done for her, that she was not your own
child and you had only been nursing her
for the real parent? Or should you like il
if you could look down into the cradle
just now, and find that the baby was moi
there, and could be told that rich man
had got her, and would bring her up well
and let her live in his house, and be taker
care of, and you never, never to see hel
again-should you like that?'


"0hi no, no." replied the mother
"never to see her again, and her not ever
to know that she was my child or know
anything about memo, ] don't think
could bear that. "She looked down int
cradle, and softly touched the child's deli
cate arm with her rough hand, as if to as
sure herself that the picture which he
young visitor had presented to her wa
unreal, and then she continued in musinl
tone: "And yet, bless heri what can d'
Tor her? Why just lay her down under
hedge all day, and then let her cry if sh'
must cry, and sleep if she can sleep--that'
ALL"


And love her?" suggested the girl.


Yes, to be sure, love her." said tn
mother, "but that | could do what eve
happened. should love her howeve
long was away from her; could loveh
just as well in another mans house. Well
II came to be tried, and anybody was 4
offer to take her-anybody that kney
would be good TO her-and she was to liv
an plenty, and be happy, and kept ava,
irom wickedness and mischief, ! don
know but what could give her, even If
was not TO see her again for years ans
Wears Rs1f I nooIxft &o1f~ xrhn xxnt,1s