A FRIEND IN NEED. 405

knows his own business best, and my time is fully
taken up with my own concerns; but I believe |
have a note of the lodgings he then occupied—here
it is.” ,

The captain took it, and, turning on his heel, with-
arew in silence.

He posted away to the place, but there, too, had the
mortification of learning that he was too late. The
people, however, teld him that they believed he
might find the family he was seeking in a neighbour-
ing alley, at a lodging up three pair of stairs. The
captain’s heart sank within him; however, taking a
boy as a guide, he proceeded immediately to the spot.
On going up the narrow, creaking staircase, he met a
man coming down with a bed on his shoulders. At_
the top of the landing stood another with a bundle of
blankets and sheets. A woman, with a child in her
arms, was expostulating with him, and he heard. her
exclaim, “ Cruel! not to leave me one bed for myself
and my poor children!’ .

“Stop,” said the captain to the man, “ set down
those things.’ The man hesitated. The captain
renewed his command in a peremptory tone; and
then advanced towards the woman. ‘They looked
earnestly at each other. Through her pale and ema-
ciated features, he saw something of his little smiler ;
and at length, in a faint voice, he addressed her,—

“ Are you Amelia Cornish ?”

“That was my name,” she replied.

“T am your uncle,’ he cried, clasping her in
his arms, and sobbing as though his heart would
break.

_ “ My uncle!” said she, and fainted.

He was just able to set her down on the only re-
maining chair, and take her child from her. T'wo other
young children came running up, and began to
scream with terror. Amelia recovered herself.

“ Oh, sir, what a situation you see me in!”