that doctor, and to give it this or that comfort or luxury in after yearn but that now all chance of this had passed away—Alice’s heart was touched, and she drew near to Mrs. Wilson with unwonted caresses, and, in a spirit not unlike to that of, Ruth, entreated, that come what would, they might remain together.  After much discussion in succeeding days, it was arranged that Mrs. Wilson should take a house in Manchester, furnishing it partly with what furniture she had, and providing the rest with Alice’s remaining two hundred pounds.  Mrs. Wilson was herself a Manchester woman, and naturally longed to return to her native town.  Some connections of her own at that time required lodgings, for which they were willing to pay pretty handsomely.  Alice undertook the active superintendence and superior work of the household.  Norah, willing faithful Norah, offered to cook, scour, do anything in short, so that, she might but remain with them.

The plan succeeded.  For some years their first lodgers remained with them, and all went smoothly,—with the one sad exception of the little girl’s increasing deformity.  How that mother loved that child, is not for words to tell!

Then came a break of misfortune.  Their lodgers left, and no one succeeded to them.  After some months they had to remove to a smaller house; and Alice’s tender conscience was torn by the idea that she ought not to be a burden to her mother-in-law, but ought to go out and seek her own maintenance.  And leave her child!  The thought came like the sweeping boom of a funeral bell over her heart.

Bye-and-bye, Mr. Openshaw came to lodge with them.  He had started in life as the errand-boy and sweeper-out of a warehouse; had struggled up through all the grades of employment in the place, fighting his way through the hard striving Manchester life with strong pushing energy of character.  Every s