140 A WAY TO BE HAPPY.

 

it would take me a week to get through

even a moderate-sized book. Iwould ra -

ther go back to the shop again. I under-
stand making a hat, but as to books, I
never did fancy them much.” |

Parker lounged for a couple of hours in
the shop of his friend, and then turned
his face homeward, feeling very uncom-
fortable.

The dark day was sinking into darker
night when he entered his house. There.
was no light in the passage nor aly in the
parlour. As he groped his way in, he
struck against a chair that was out of place,
and hurt himself. The momentary pain
caused the fretfulness he felt, on finding all
dark within, to rise into anger. He went
back to the kitchen, grumbling sadly, and
there gave the cook a sound rating for not
having lit the lamps earlier. Mrs. Parker
heard all, but said nothing. The cook
brought a lamp into the parlour and placed
it upon the table with an indignant air; she
then flirted off up-stairs, and complained to