Year: 1872

ShhpiVyihOhO'


"Have you any friends in the city ?"
she presently asked. ...,.


"No" I...,...


But what will you do with your baby
if you work in the mills ?"


81 thought perhaps could get some one
to look after him, if had the luck to find
work." t.... I.


" Haven't you any friends where you
come from that would take him--your
own folks?''


No"-rather hesitatingly 81 haven't
any folks-at least they don't care for me
now."


"Where is your husband ?' was the next
abrupt question.


A fiery blush spread over the woman's
face, and her lips contracted as if with q
sharp spasm of pain, but she made no
answer Miss Tucker regarded her for an
instant with surprise; then sudden, swift
lifting of the eyebrows showed that she
comprehended the case. She leaned for
ward and said in a low tone, 81 under
stand: your husband is not living. l am
sorry spoke of it. What fine healthy
baby yours is ~


There was a gentle, womanly accent in
her voice, which did not escape Harvey's
ear; and the ready tact with which she had
covered the poor creature S embarrassme mt,
turning instantly from the painful theme
to that which. would naturally be most
consoling, pleased and touched him. He
looked at the over-dress, loud-voiced fac
tory-girl with more of genuine admira-
tion than he had often bestowed on any
woman. Indeed, he was not an admirer of
woman in general. A bachelor of forty,
well born, good-looking, and rich, he
might well have been q mark for man
aging mammas and designing daughters,
had he chosen to put himself in their way.
But he was not partial to female society.
The truth was he had in his youth, when
not so prosperous as now, been rather
badly treated by beautiful but worldly
girl, who, after encouraging his suit, sud-
denly Tilted him for wealthier rival. The
experience had possibly somewhat shaken
his faith in woman in general at least it
had given him distaste for their society.
He had two married brothers, but their
matrimonial luck was not of kind to make
him envious. The wife of one was a very
high bred woman, model of elegance
and propriety in externals, but with the
temper of a demon; the other was an
amiable fool. So, on in the whole, Harvey
was content to remain as he was. Unfa-
miliar with woman, he was, as rule,
rather unobservant of those with whom he
might be accidently thrown, and Indifferent
to what they chose to say or do. So it was,
in fact an unusual thing that he should be
listening now with interest to the talk of
these two, one of whom was evidently no
better than a social pariah and the other of
standing and culture so inferior to his
own. He observed how the latter, though
evidently comprehending the truth with
regard to her new acquaintance, showed no
shrinking or hesitation. She saw only her
need, not her fault, and gave her all the
advice in her power in tone Of grave but
respectful compassion.


They rumbled and iolted along, the road
growing more difficult with every mile, till,
indeed, it was nearly impossible. The old
lady with the basket grew orosser and more
frightened with every fresh jolt, She scold-
ed the driver necessarily, as if he were
somehow responsible for the state of the
roads, and seemed out of patience with all
the rest for not being as much terrified as
herself Her wretched husband slept CON
tinually, but managed to, lurch forward
every moment against the youth in front
of him, till the latter very nearly lost his
temper under the inhiction. The baby
fretted and cried and as for Harvey, he
grew so tired that he began to think he
could go no further. tra, .llaas


But discomfort and annoyance only
seemed to bring out Lymp Tucker in great
er strength. She laughed merrily at each
fresh mishap rallied the old lady out of
her fears, and helped her to straighten her
mashed bonnet, which had como to grief
from the jolting stage and joked away her
brothers. ill-humor, and produced from her
sachei an orange which quieted the crying
baby, and gave It's weary mother a brief
rest. Her unfailing good humor and cheer
fulness had an effect upon all even Har-
vey partly forgot his weariness in the lively
talk in which she engaged him. She chat
ted with perfect franlsness and some disre-
CARED TO grammar rules but tho quick wit
and the shrswd commonsense she displayed