Year: 1875

did not contradict bis wife, held to his
own opinion and Trottie began to
think that his intended abstinence was
occasiened rather by the pain he felt at
seeing their poor circumstances than
from any dislike to the liquor itself.


The lodger now left them, and after
their meal Trottie and her younger sister
Kate soon went to bed.


Although tired with the days exertion,
Trottie did not fall asleep, but continued,
in the darkness and solitude OF hel
room, the train of thoughts that had oc'
cupied her mind during the evening.
She was particularly struck with the
words of her mother, and the sorrowful
expression of her countenance when she
lamented they had nothing whatever in
the shape of spirituous liquors to glad,
den their hearts the next evening. Now
Trottie was a good daughter, and In
tensely fond of her mother, and she be-
gan to consider whether it would be pos
sible to obtain q bottle of rum, and make
it a present to her. True, she had given
all her weeks earnings to purchase food
for the family, but still there might be
some plan by which to accomplish hel
object. No doubt her friend, Martha
Jones, who accompanied her from the
factory as far as Tooley street, and whose
parents we're comfortably of, would lend
her the money, which she could repay
from her next weeks earnings. Well,
she thought she would do it, and then
she thought she would not.


"Better go at onoe," suggested itself
to her mind, and that 80 plainly and dis
tinctly that she thought it must have
been whispered to her. Again the
words were uttered, and, if possible,
more clearly than before. Trottie was
in doubt whether she really heard q
voice, or whether it was merely fancy
on her part, when she felt hand taken
hers. She attempted to withdraw her
own, but it was impossible. Without
auy pressure the hand seemed simply to
clasp hers, but 80 cold and clammy was
it that she shuddered as she felt it. And
then she remembered, some years before,
when she had seen her little brother, as
he Law in his coffin preparatory to il
being screwed down, thatshe had kissed
him first on his forehead, and then, tax,
ING his hand, had kissed that also, re-
marking at the same time how cold and
clayey it felt. The hand that held hers
at the present moment seemed that of a
dead child's about her brothers age.


Without being able to understand in
what manner it was done, Trottie found
the hand leading her through darkness
80 profound she could distinguish moth
ing whatever. All, too, was silent
around her. Still she went on, gliding
swiftly, without meeting with any i'm,
pediment, or without the dread of do
ing so. At length there appeared to be
glimmer of light, as if from gas OF
lamp, which increased in clearness till
she began to notice that there we're OBJ,
iects near her. These in their turn be-
came more and more distinct, till she
found herself, the dead hand holding
her still. behind tho counter in large
pawnbroker's shop. To her surprise,
neither of the shopmen appeared to
notice her and she turned round to see
who it was that held her hand, but she
could soc neither the hand nor her own.
On looking round the shop she found it
contained three small compartments,
like boxes, each having an occupant,
with two of whom the two shopmen
were busy completing loans. In the
third was a respectable-looking woman,
who remained silent till her turn came
to be attended to. She kept her head
turned somewhat aside, 80 that her fea-
lures were not visible, and this was
done in such manner as evidently to
show the wish to escape observation
and no one could see her, for, as before
stated, the shopmen were busy with two
other customers, and Trottie herself felt
that she was as invisible as the one who
stood beside her and held her hand.


And now it came to the woman's turn
to be waited upon, who had SO f1edly
engaged Trotties attention.


"What can I do for you, ma'am 2
said one of the shopmen.
"I want half-a-crown on those" said
the woman, putting something down on
the counter, but Trottie could not see
what, as the shopman stood between bel
and the woman.


Taking up the article she had put
down, the shopman carried them "a pal,
of child's shoes) under the gaslight tc
examine them more minutely.


"Ah, you may examine them as muct
as you please" said the woman; "they
are very little worn; gave six shilling:
for them not long ago, and the boy!
only worn them on Sundays.


"Eighteen pence" said the shop
man.


Eighteen pence won't do," said thu
woman.


"Take them back, then," said the
shopman, throwing them on the coun
ter.


"Say one-and-nine, said the woman


Eighteen pence crnothing," replied
the shopmau.


cru take the money" said tn
woman.


The man now proceeded to tie to
gether the shoes and make out ticket
and the dead hand drew Trottie from
the shop.


How it was she could not tell, but
without hurrying or making scarcely an.
movement, Trottie the next momen
found herself in rom overhead. l
was fitted up in singular manner, will
racks and shelves raised round it and il
the center; and these we're filled will
objects of a most varied description
many of them folded up in cloths, whil'
others were open to the eye, all having
labels on them, and arranged in tn
neatest order. There were two mel
also in this room-one Of them an as
H. okl ,&>r