Year: 1875

L II SutG Sa0ulu naVS bAla hi SOTtS vi
thing. to the boy, that | should have been
sorry for after. And there was fumine
and fretting about, savage with every
body, giving short answers, swapping a,
the wife, and feeling as man does feel
when he kncws that he has been In the
wrong. and hasn't the heart to 60 and
own it.


1t was about eight o'clock that was
sitting by the parlor fire, with the wife
working and very quiet, when Luke came
in from the workshop, with book under
his arm, for he had been totting up the
mems piece. work, and what was due to
them; and the sight Of him mad me feel
as il must quarrel.


He saw it, too, and said nothing. only
put the accounts away and began to read.
The wife saw the storm brewing, and she
4 knew how put out was, for had not lii
my pipe, nor yet had my evening tea. Be
she did what she knew so we'll how to dc
filled my pipe, forced it into my hand,
and just as ! Was going to dash it to pie.
ces in the ashes, she gave me one Of her
old looks, kissed me ON the forehead, as,
with one hand she pressed me back into
my chair, and then, with the other she lit
splint. and held it to my tobacco.
was done. She always gets over me
like that; and after smoking ia silence for
half al hour, was lying back, with my
eyes closed, dropping off to sleep, when
the wife said what had gone before had
not heard y


Yes, he's asleep, now


That woke me up of course, and If
didn't lie there, shalnming, and heard all
they said in whisper.
How came you to make him more
vexed than he WASP said the wife; and
he told her.


Il couldn't do it, mother he said ex-
citedly. 1t was heartbreaking. She's
living in a wretched room there with her
daughter; and, mother, when saw her,
l felt as if-there, can't tell YOU


Go on, Luke she said.
They're half starved he said, in q
husky way. oh, mother, it's horrible I.
Such sweet, beautiful girl, aud the poor
woman, herself dying, almost, with some
terrible disease


The wife sighed.


They told me-, he went, how hard
they had tried to live by ordinary needle
work, and failed, and that a. as last re-
source they had tried to get the ma
chine


Poor things!' says the wife; but are
you sure the mother was lady,?


"A clergyman's widow says Luke,
hastily, there isn't q doubt about 1t !!
Poor girl and they've got to learn to
use it before 1t will be of any service to
them


Pooaf Disl IL ISskas I.Ss4kas,s 3 iss tse,ssde. -afa,
she laid hand upon his arm, and was
looking curiously at him, when il he
didn't cover his face with his hands, rest
his elbows on the table, and give a groan.
Then the old woman got up, stood behiud
his chair, and began playing With and ca
rcssing his hair like the foolish old moth
would.


Mother he says, suddenly, will you
go and see them ?


She didn't answer for . minute, only
stood looking down at him, and then said
softly


They paid you the 6rst money?


No. he says hotly. 4 hadn't the heart
to take it.


Then that money you paid was yours,
Luke2 p


Yes, mother, he says, simply; and
those two stopped looking one at the
other, till the wife bent down and kissed
him holding his head Afterwards for q
few moments between her hands; for she
always did worship that chap, our onlp
one and then closed my eyes tight and
went on breathing heavy and thinking.


For something like new revelation
had come upon me knew that Luke
was FIVE and twenty, and that l was fifty
four, but he always seemed like boy to
me, and here was waking up to the fact
that he was = grown man. and that he was
thinking and feeling as frst thought and
felt when / first saw his mother nigh up
on eight and twenty years ago.
lay thinking and telling myself that
was very savage with him for decsiving
me. and that / wouldn't have him and his
mother laying plots together against me,
and that wouldn't stand by and see him
make a fool of himself with the first
pretty girl he set eyes on, when he might
marry Maria Turner. the engineers
daughter, and might have with her nice
bit Of money to put in the business, and
then be my partner
No. says, il you plot together,
| I'll plot all Alone and then l pretended
to wake up, took NO notice. and had my
supper.


kept myself gruff the next morning,
and made myself very busy about the
place, and dare say spoke more sharply
than usual, but the wife and Luke were as
quiet as could be; and about twelve
went out with little oil-can and two or
three tools in my pocket


1t was not far to Bennet.'s place, and
on getting to the right house, asked for
Mrs. Murray, and was directed to the sec
ond foer, where. as l reached the door. !
could hear the clicking Of my sewing
machine, and whoever was there. was so
busy over it that they did not hear me
knock, so opened the door ssftly. and
looked in upon as sad a scene as l shall
ever, dare say, see.


There, in the bare room sat, asleep IN
her chair, the widow lady who came for
the machine, and conld see that in her
face which told plainly enough that the
pain and suffering she must have been
going through for years. would soon be
over. and, situated as she was, IL gave me