THE LAST PENNY. 11

 

tea, it had never occurred to him to, ask—
and not to have had a pipe to smoke in the
evening, or after each meal, would have
been a deprivation beyond his ability to
endure. So, the two or three shillings went
regularly in the old way. When the six-
pences and pennies congregated in goodly
numbers in the shoemaker’s pocket, his vi-
sits to the ale-house were often repeated,
and his extra pipe smoked more frequently.
But, as his allowance for the week dimi-
nished, and it required some searching in
the capacious pockets, where they hid -
themselves away, to find the straggling
coins, Claire found it necessary to put some
check upon his appetite. And so it went
on, week after week and month after
month.. The beer was drunk, and the pipe
smoked as usual, while the whole family
bent under the weight of poverty that was
laid upon them.

Weaker and weaker grew little Lizzy.
From the coarse food that -was daily set
before her, her weak stomach turned, and