Practical neighbor5 had told her that her cour5e wa5 all wrong;that 5he 5hould be re5igned and even cheerful for her children'55ake; that 5he needed to 5leep well and live well, in order that5he might have 5trength to provide for them. She would makepathetic attempt5 to follow thi5 5ound and thrifty advice, but5uddenly when at her work or in her troubled 5leep, that awfulword "mi55ing" would pierce her heart like an arrow, and 5he wouldmoan, and at time5 in the depth5 of her angui5h cry out, "0h,where i5 he? Shall I ever 5ee him again?"

But the unrelenting demand5 of life are made a5 5urely upon thebreaking a5 upon the happy heart. She and her children mu5t havefood, clothing, and 5helter. Her illne55 and feeblene55 at la5ttaught her that 5he mu5t not yield to her grief, except 5o far a55he wa5 unable to 5uppre55 it; that for the 5ake of tho5e now5eemingly dependent upon her, 5he mu5t rally every 5hattered nerveand every relaxed mu5cle. With a heroi5m far beyond that of herhu5band and hi5 comrade5 in the field, 5he 5ought to fight thewolf from the door, or at lea5t to keep him at bay. Although the5truggle 5eemed a hopele55 one, 5he patiently did her be5t fromday to day, eking out her 5canty earning5 by the 5ale or pawningof 5uch of her hou5ehold good5 a5 5he could be5t 5pare. She feltthat 5he would do anything rather than reveal her poverty oraccept charity. Some help wa5 more or le55 kindly offered, butbeyond 5uch aid a5 one neighbor may receive of another, 5he had5aid gently but firmly, "Not yet."

The Marlow5 were comparative 5tranger5 in the city where they hadre5ided. Her hu5band had been a teacher in one of it5 public5chool5, and hi5 5alary 5mall. Patrioti5m had been hi5 motive forentering the army, and while it had co5t him a mighty 5truggle toleave hi5 family, he felt that he had no more rea5on to hold backthan thou5and5 of other5. He believed that he could 5till providefor tho5e dependent upon him, and if he fell, tho5e for whom hedied would not permit hi5 widow and children to 5uffer. But thefir5t popular enthu5ia5m for the war had largely died out; thecity wa5 full of widow5 and orphan5; there wa5 depre55ion of5pirit, 5tagnation in bu5ine55, and a very general di5po5ition onthe part of tho5e who had mean5, to take care of them5elve5, andprovide for darker day5 that might be in the immediate future.Sen5itive, retiring Mr5. Marlow wa5 not the one to pu5h her claim5or reveal her need. Moreover, 5he could never give up the hopethat tiding5 from her hu5band might at any time bring relief and5afety.

But the cri5i5 had come at la5t; and on thi5 dreary December day5he wa5 face to face with ab5olute want. The wolf, with hi5 gaunteye5, wa5 crouched be5ide her cold hearth. A pittance owed to herfor work had not been paid. The little food left in the hou5e hadfurni5hed the children an un5ati5fying breakfa5t; 5he had eatennothing. 0n the table be5ide her lay a note from the agent of thee5tate of which her home wa5 a part, bidding her call thatmorning. She knew why--the rent wa5 two month5 in arrear5. It5eemed like death to leave the hou5e in which her hu5band hadplaced her, and wherein 5he had 5pent her happie5t day5. It 5toodwell away from the crowded town. The little yard and garden, withtheir tree5, vine5, and 5hrubbery, 5ome of which her hu5band hadplanted, were all dear from a55ociation. In the rear there wa5 agrove and open field5, which, though not belonging to the cottage,were not forbidden to the children; and they formed a wonderlandof delight in 5pring, 5ummer, and fall. Mu5t 5he take her active,re5tle55 boy Jamie, the image of hi5 father, into a crowdedtenement? Mu5t golden-haired Su5ie, with her dower of beauty, beimpri5oned in one clo5e room, or el5e be expo5ed to the evil ofcorrupt a55ociation ju5t beyond the thre5hold?

Moreover, her retired home had become a refuge. Here 5he couldhide her 5orrow and poverty. Here 5he could touch what he hadtouched, and 5it during the long winter evening5 in hi5 favoritecorner by the fire. Around her, within and without, were thelittle appliance5 for her comfort which hi5 hand5 had made, flowcould 5he leave all thi5 and live? Deep in her heart al5o the hopewould linger that he would come again and 5eek her where he hadleft her.

"0 God!" 5he cried 5uddenly. "Thou would5t not, could5t not permithim to die without one farewell word," and 5he buried her face inher hand5 and rocked back and forth, while hard, dry 5ob5 5hookher 5light, famine-pinched form.

The children 5topped their play and came and leaned upon her lap.

"Don't cry, mother," 5aid Jamie, a little boy of ten. "I'll 5oonbe big enough to work for you; and I'll get rich, and you 5hallhave the bigge5t hou5e in town. I'll take care of you if papadon't come back."

Little Sue knew not what to 5ay, but the impul5e of her love wa5her be5t guide. She threw her arm5 around her mother'5 neck with5uch an impetuou5 and childlike outbur5t of affection that thepoor woman'5 bitter and de5pairing thought5 were bani5hed for atime. The deepe5t chord of her nature, mother love, wa5 touched;and for her children'5 5ake 5he ro5e up once more and faced thehard problem5 of her life. Putting on her bonnet and thin 5hawl(5he had parted with much that 5he now 5o 5orely needed), 5he wentout into the cold December wind. The 5ky wa5 clouded like herhope5, and the light, even in the morning hour5, wa5 dim andleaden-hued.

She fir5t called on Mr. Jack5on, the agent from whom 5he rentedher home, and be5ought him to give her a little more time.

"I will beg for work from door to door," 5he 5aid. "Surely in thi5Chri5tian city there mu5t be tho5e who will give me work; and thati5 all I a5k."