A Letter of Credit

window from morning till night, and her restles

time was done up and she had leisure to make trouble,-

ing," Mrs. Ca

ghtn't

thankful

ke you thankful, seems to m

orry fo

ngry, I wouldn't be; but

, it's

ha

that work, which some

ody else would get the pay; and

me of us now. Mother, you s

here. "I have not had time yet

e? Mother, I think it w

ayvi

gain, her patient sigh,

!" the latter went on,

ne single thing

It is not our choice th

oice take us awa

afraid

y needle for a few minutes

you should be working so, and

dy in this world h

do, then. You are b

ed to do, Rotha. He has given me this; and as long as he gives me his love with it, I think it is good. He has g

attack, there was a tap at the door, and Mrs. Marbl

er she had chatted awhile, watching her lo

ling a

e inspecte

ke in that style in a da

er. "I get blind, and I get nervous. I can ma

e!" said the little woman. "I wonde

enquired Rotha, to whom t

tle. They wouldn't be satisfied with any heave

penter quietly. "A hundredfold in this present

said Mrs. Marble. "Folks talk about it,-but I n

rs. Carpenter. "

better for you than those buttonholes. I think I can do better anyhow," said the

"no." "What schools are there in this ne

s the public sch

ol? That is wher

n't think they had ought to. There's enough witho

red and fift

You want to send Rotha? You can't get along without her at home, can

d me to that school, would you? That's where all the poor childre

ace for us. What are we

Medwayville? And losing our farm and our

n't

not that sort of people. You wo

aketh poor and maketh rich;' and

the other," said Rotha

rich and yo

itated and seemed

and her marriage brought her into riches. I would not exchange with her for all the

he tried, with natural motherly feeling, to spare her child, she made her fingers rough and unfit for delicate work. It would not do. Rotha's hands must go into the hot water, and handle the saucepan, and the broom, and the box-iron. Ironing made Mrs. Carpenter's hands tremble; and she must not be hindered in her work or made to do it slowly, if she and her child were to live. And by degrees Rotha came thus to be very busy and her days well filled up. All errands were done by her; purchases at the market and the grocery shop and the thread and needle store. The care of the t

tisfaction in the activity of it. Mrs. Carpenter sat by the window and sewed, from morning to night. Both of them began to grow pale over their confined life; but they were caught in the machinery of this great, restless, evil world, and must needs go on with it; no extrication was possible. One needlefu

g to any sort of school was not a thing at present within the rang

e resolutely laid down her work and took time to go and inspect it. The stock was small enough, and poor; in the whole she found nothing that could serve her purpose, save two volumes of a broken set of Rollin's Ancient

are only Vol.

I kn

are not ve

too. I will

oing to do with them? Rea

to make yo

," said Rotha; "but what shall we do for

ps we can pick them

reading, but it was made the nucleus of a discussion, of which Rotha only knew that it was very interesting; Mrs. Carpenter knew that she was teaching her daughter history and chronology. Not the history merely of the people immediately in question, but the history of the world and of humanity. For without being a scholar or having dead languages at her command, Mrs. Carpenter had another knowledge, which gives the very best key to the solution of many human questions, leads to the most clear and

head, which is always the best way. And Mrs. Carpenter taxed her memory to enable her as far as practicable to indoctrinate Rotha in the mysteries and delights of physical geography, which the girl took as she would the details of a story. Culture and the arts and industries

ts of speech, and their distinctions and inflexions; also, as far as her mother could recollect them, the rules of syntax. Against all this branch of study she revolted, as unintelligible. Writing compositions went better; but for the mechanical

ctive and stirring in the little rooms where they lived. Nevertheless, their physical nature did not thrive so well as the mental. Rotha was growing fast, and shooting up slender and pale, living too housed a life; and her mother b

the window one day in the late sprin

e a comfortable home, and a g

butterflies in the fiel

the sigh, but this

real milk, and some strawberries, and

my c

t aunt Serena is rich, an

asked me t

didn't

consequence of the diff

re not poor before you m

N

an. What is become of i

ere,

e of it the

get your book and read. That would be

, mother? Did aunt Serena-d

ur book

I shall know the answer

ll," Mrs. Carpenter

hy

thought there we

here, m

again. Different people have different ways of looking at the same thing; and p

unjust," said Rotha, in immed

t think it w

thing is honestly meant,

le of right and wron

s it make, whether it was

hould say. Don't

though. If she was a good woman, she wouldn't kee

, the tears springing to her eyes. "This is very

aid Rotha indignantly as she obeyed the order. "O mo

came a cry fr

-berr_

indow. "Mother, it's a woman with a basket full o

s word went to th

y will be very dear. By and by t

ink I do hate New York. The sight of those strawberries makes me wild. I want Ca

irl knew nothing, except that her mother was a very lovely and constant exemplification of them. Nobody ever expected either from Rotha; although this was the first violent expression of grief and longing that her mother had seen since their removal to New York, and it took her by surprise. Ro

nd struggled to prevent more coming,-"I could

hat then?" said th

s if I could be

t be much w

one bit better, mother

st tru

t? I don

he will keep hi

prom

of them that trust in

aid. Rotha. "I want more than that. I want

comfortable

" Rotha said

accent, which half soothed, half reproached Rotha, though

ing, mother! everythin

ake you happy,

Why woul

t can. There is only one thi

t religious. And if I was happy, mother

ld be happy," Mrs. Carpent

ses, and a nice house, and books, and not to have to cook and wash dishes, and to tak

I had it and did not give it to you, you wo

you were mistak

rpenter said with that same faint, sweet smile again

was si

thing.' As soon as it would be good for us, if that time ever comes, we shall have it. As

a little refreshed. But the necessities of living drove her on, as they drive so many, pitilessly. She could not intermit her work. Rents were due just the same in summer as in winter, and meat and bread were no cheaper. She grew very thin and pale; and Rotha too, though in a far less degree, shewed the wilting and withering effect of the life they led. Rarely a walk could be had; the streets were hot and disagreeable; and Mrs. Carpenter could but now and then dare to spend twenty cents f

e could not immediately get rid of. A bad cough set in; strength rather failed than grew; and the thin hands which were so unceasingly busy with their work, became more and more transparently t

n busy with

or company and for the air and exercise. Her way led her into the finer built part of the city. Coming down Broadway, she was stopped a minute by a little crowd on the sidewalk, just

esently went on their way again,

er

coachman dr

at they cal

his hat. What for? I see a great many coachmen and footm

, that

hat is

hey think it

r servants can dress handsomer than we ever could. And thei

es

over the sidewalk. She did not even lift it up, as

arpenter mechanically, like a person who

d. I suppose, mother, her train w

f it as that," sa

right, for that woman to trail so much silk on the groun

in my finances, whethe

ut it

shoul

hile at this pr

don't you think there would be enough for t

how should the surplus get

at's ver

imple as

d chapter of Acts, that we were reading yesterda

rist. I grant you, Rotha, that makes things easy. M

er, how that girl was dressed too, that came

rdl

r hat and a beautiful little muff, and a silk frock too, though there w

appearance of the figures in question, though, as she said, she had scarce

sister. She felt that her strength lately had been decreasing; it had been with much difficulty that she accomplished her full tale of work; help, even a little, would be very grateful, and a friend for Rotha might be of the greatest importance. It was over with those thoughts. That one glimpse of her sister as she swept past, had shewn her the utter futility of such an appeal as she had thought of making. There was something

d catching at any thread of hope or help, Mrs. Carpenter took another long walk and delivered at its place of address the letter which her English guest

ing became more and more difficult to bear. Mrs. Carpenter now more frequently went out with her work herself;