A Letter of Credit

in a drawer, and both were soon forgotten. The l

rden that had been too much for him when well. He would not spare himself. The work must be done, he said, or the interest on the mortgages could not be paid. He wrought early and late, and saw to it that his hir

asy chair, and she beside him; but not holding each other's hands, not touching, nor looking at one another. Their blood was of a genuine New England course; and people of that kind, though they would die for one another, rarely exchange kisses. And besides, there are times when caresse

acre lot and planted it with wheat; and that would have made some differe

d Mrs. Carpenter; and her secret though

until fall. But then they wil

nd somethi

now, while I ca

sewing." She spoke calmly, all the while a te

re too many in the village already tha

use, overcoming herself,-"I might go to New

?" asked h

nk she

ways goes ahead

nk she w

ndent on her.-This is what you ge

d out his hand to take

r man than she did. And I have wante

in this world's goods

ving one's wife

rs fast and hard; wrung them a little. Yet both faces were steady. Mrs. Carpenter'

eld. It would have been no more than justice. Serena might have

Carpenter gently. "I a

me!" And

s world's goods any wo

for, but for this money trouble. And we shall have happy years again, Eunice; where the time is n

n answered, "I have not been disappoint

r faith to get above sense. And I am not anxious;

ilence then o

Serena and you. One sister with more than she can use; the other talking of sew

e said, with a shadow of a smile

ave shewn it before now. My dear, do not expect anything from Serena. Till next fall y

e broke. She threw herself upon her husband's breast, and

life was not prolonged to the summer. In one of the last days of a rough spr

ited there was not call enough for the work she could do. Work did not come, at any rate. The only real opening for her to earn her livelihood, was in the shape of a housekeeper's situation with an old bachelor farmer, who was well off and had nobody to take care of him. In her destitution, I do not know but Mrs. Carpenter might h

ds and furniture and stock, added another somewhat larger; so that altogether a few hundreds stood at Mrs. Carpenter's disposal. This precisely made her undertaking possible. It was a very doubtful undertaking; but what alternativ

aunt Serena's, mother?

N

sappointed. From a word now and then she had got the impression that this relation of thei

then, m

of the boarding house he goes to when he goes to New York. We ca

ew York li

not know. O it is a city, my child; of

diffe

y possib

ther? Aren't t

he houses there st

room to get abo

re the s

grass, o

es of grass i

tr

ne streets I believe t

dens, m

N

ple do for veget

ld in the markets. Don't you know Mr. Jones

tato, you must go to t

es

apple,

or any

"if you have money enough. I shouldn't think it

ou cannot lay a p

have very good n

er point of doubt and dread in her moth

nt, mother. Suppose we should n

nter did n

you come back again, if

re, any more, my child. I hope we shall

perhaps we shall not! But, mother, that

would help m

n't want help to bear an

came at this appeal; they w

sends nothing to his children but he sends help too; else," said Mrs. Carpenter, brushing her hand

elp

ly. You can,

Mother, what is wrong

g a very direct

ing is wrong

charity, meant it honestly; her little daug

s she ever do any

ate from mine," Mrs. Car

r to help you. And when people

ight and wrong, Rotha. We shal

tter with aunt Serena? Why d

long time ago, my child. We have

going to be where

u rip up your

t y

now. I want it to

saw a certain trait in the lines of her mother's lips; it might be reserve, it might

he misty distance. The journey itself was full of wonder and delight to Rotha. It was a very remarkable thing, in the first place, to find the world so large; then another remarkable thing was the variety of the people in it. Rotha had known only one kind, speaking broadly; the plain, quiet, respectable, and generally comfortable in habitants of

her unqualified disapprobation. None of its arrangements or acco

d, gloomy, and dirty,

crying, "I hope our hous

e a house, Rotha;

ouse, I suppose," said t

be very diffe

of it clean, at any rat

uld not have rooms in a house that w

I could

you he

here in a big city can ever be bright and swee

nt by summer wind. But there was hope that the morrow's search would unfold

and going, the laden carts and light passing carriages, the gay shops, and the shops that were not gay,

e cried, "is t

a store for

he cabbages don't look nice." Then soon after coming t

ey have got everything at this market. Do see! there are fish, a

bst

e they g

ea

good for anything. Mother, one co

lenty o

much?-to get

ing faintly. "It takes a good deal of m

e ought to have sta

y of walking, and more weary of looking at rooms that would suit them which they could not pay for, and other rooms which they could pay for and that would not do. All the houses in New York seemed to come under one or

find a place?" Rotha asked, the evening o

nnot g

find a place

side the highway, neither mother nor daughter would have thought anything of the distance; but here the hard pavement wearied them, and the way measured off by so many turns and crossings and beset with houses and human beings, seemed a forlorn pilgrimage into remote regions. Besides,

ingdon Square,"

are at all,"

hen it's only one stree

Str

Jane Street was found t

ner and were at the

arpenter had found in some parts of the city. A decent woman, a mantua-maker, had the house and offered Mrs. Carpenter the second floor; two little rooms an

s in a corner; for I couldn't have grease and crumbs round; but where one person can stand

Carpenter asked wearily. She ha

. She was a little woman, quick and alert in all her ways and looks. "My rooms a

ry," said Mrs. Carpenter

l. Some of 'em do a good deal more; but that aint my lookout. I'd eat bread an

t is

to worry. I guess

good deal by the extra trouble of providing herself; she would be more private, and probably have things better to her liking. Besides, her very soul sickened at the

"Well, there's a good many

, you could put me

ut there's a many doing that sort o' thing. They're i

cannot tell what I wan

t everything at once. First of all, you'd better order in some coal. You can get that j

can it

ts when they sell by the basket. You will want a little kindling too. Hadn't you better get a little bit of a sto

can I g

tty much of a stran

ly a st

he place they live. You aint bad enough for Ne

me good people here,

e aint some bad ones in the lot, that's all. There's plenty of places where you can get your stove, if you want to. Elwall's in Abingdon Square,

said Mrs. Carpenter, with

a bed you can have, that I aint using. It'll cost you less, and do just as well. I ai

a saucepan and frying pan; half a dozen knives and forks, spoons, etc., a lamp, and sundry other little indispensable conveniences for people who would set up hous

; the little stove put up, fire made in it, and the kettle boiled; and at night mother and daughter sat down to supper together, taking breath for the first time that day. Mrs. Carpen

s funny bre

baker's

little, but i

nkful we have

ink I should be more th

ou some better," Mrs.

economical,

"do you suppose aunt S

She give

ot like to d

for it," said t

her own cooki

ild. She h

s a better woman th

rpenter returned. But something about it flushed he

rding the animadversion, "if she isn'

ought, when his tro

't they?"

t understand;

d, though, mother. Not unde

re will be a great many things you cannot unde

?" Rotha as

God. He

or what?" Ro

ou, if you are his child; and let no harm come to you;

is trusting

kes to have

ild, and he has let

now nothing about it. No har

call harm, then," sai

. You know very well that p

him, mother, so a

rs. Carpenter

external signs tha

to see aunt S

t n

he

not

does sh

ishes, while I put things a lit

t over work which was not for herself. At home, though life was busy it was not slaving. There were intervals, and often, of rest and pleasure taking. She and Rotha used to go into the garden to gather vegetables and to pick fruit; and at other times to weed and dress the beds and sow flower seeds. And at evening the whole little family were wont to enjoy the air and the sunsets and the roses from the hall door; and to have sweet and various discourse together about a great variety of subjects. Those delights, it is true, ceased a good while ago; the talks especially. Mrs. Carpenter was not much of a talker even then, though her words were good when they came. Now she said little indeed; an