J. COLE. 13

you'd better let me; there ain’t no boy; and
Mrs. Cook and Mary’ll ’ave a lot to do. I
can stay in the stable, if you don’t like to
let’ me be in the house, afore you writes the
letter.”

“No, Joe,” I replied: “you may not be a
good, honest boy, but I think you are; and
you shall stay here. . Now go back to Mrs.
Wilson, and finish your milk, and eat some-
thing more if you can, then have a good rest
and a wash; they will show you where you
are to sleep, and at dinner, this evening, I
shall see if you can wait at table.”

“Thank you very kindly,” said the boy, his
whole face beaming with delight, “and I’ll be
sure and do everythink I can for you.” Then
he went quickly out of the room; for I could
see he was quite overcome, now that the un-
certainty was over.

Alone once more, I reasoned with myself,
and felt I was doing an unwise thing. Just
at that time my husband was away on busi-
ness for some months; and I had no one to
advise me, and no one to say me nay either.
My conscience told me my husband would say,