28 TURNS OF FORTUNE.

and he shut himself up; and seeing no misery,
at last believed, as many do, whom the world
never dreams of calling as you called him, Ma-
bel—seeing no misery, believed that it only ex-
isted in the popular whine. I am sure, if he
had seen, he would have relieved it. | always
think that when I am giving; it is a great
blessing to be able to give; and I would give
more, were I not fearful that it might injure
you.”

*‘Injure me, dear aunt, how 2?”

“Why, Mabel, my heart is greatly fixed up-
on seeing you a rich heiress, and, in time, suit-
ably established.”

‘You have just been saying how much hap-
pier you were when you were all poor together,
and yet you want to make me rich,”

‘People may be very happy in poverty be-
fore they have known riches; but having once
been rich, it would, I think, be absurd to suppose
we could ever be happy again in poverty.”

“‘T saw,” replied the girl, ‘two children pass
the gate this morning while I was gathering
flowers—bunches of the simple white jessamine
you love so much, dear aunt—and they asked
so hard for bread, that I sent them a shilling.”

‘Too much,” interrupted Sarah Bond, ha-
bitually rather than from feeling ; “too much,
dear Mabel, to give to common beggars,”

“There were two, you know, and they look-
ed wan and hungry. About three hours after,