hung before the window, that gave a borrowed light from the shop, he could see instantaneously if any customer required his presence there.

He always found consolation in this little back room, and he often wanted it; for Abel was of rather a desponding temper, and his business, humbly as he started, and assiduously as he worked, was not at once successful.

"This is slow work, Madge, slow work: I thought I should surely get on better than this."

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Hasty climbers have sudden falls,' said Madge, as she laid the pattern of a baby's cap on some fine hair-cord muslin.

"But there is a difference between getting on too fast and doing nothing at all. I am afraid there are too many of a trade in the neighbourhood."

"One barber shaves not so close but another finds work,' " said Madge, as with her pointed scissars she neatly shaved off the unevenesses of the cap crowns.

"The day is closing in, and absolutely I have not had a customer."

"No day passeth without some grief.' Oh dear! dear me !" said Madge in dismay, as by an accidental slip of the scissars she spoiled a strip of muslin, selvageway, which she had meant for strings.

"I wish you'd have done with your proverbs and your trumpery, Madge, and attend to me."

Her face flushed crimson.

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Was it this you call my trumpery?" holding up the baby's cap, "but no," she said, the next moment, throwing down the cap, and putting her arm affectionately over her husband's shoulder, "I was wrong, quite wrong; you couldn't mean that: tell me, what can I do for you, Abel dear ?"

"I dont' know that you can do anything for me, Madge; but I'm very unhappy about businesss.

"You've done all you can."

"That I have."

"A clear conscience-a sure card.'

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May be so, wife but our rent is due and must be paid."

"Providence is better than rent."" Abel turned abruptly, angrily, round, but there was his little wife, not vaunting herself on her wisdom, but standing with pale face and tearful eyes, earnestly bent with the utmost sympathy and affection on him, and blended with a touching humility of aspect, which led him to think that she might even then be mentally imploring the interposition of that Providence to whom she had referred.

He caught her to him.

"God bless you, at any rate," he said, "whatever comes."

At that instant there was a very peremptory rap on the counter, as if the customer might have given a previous summons which had been unheard; our friends had both forgotten to cast an eye towards the window.

Abel rushed into the shop, and could hardly recover his equilibrium and his nerves, in time to make his very lowest bow to the magnet he saw there the worshipful Mr. Alderman Gobble.

"So, Master Abel, you've got a snug berth here."

Abel bowed again.

"You're doing well, I hope ?"
"Not very well, sir, thank you."

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Not very well! how's that? you're married too; is your wife a fine lady?"

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Not a bit of it, sir, not a bit of it: but the best little activest woman as ever was."

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Very well, very well, very well: we shall do then, we shall do. Now Abel, mark me. I promised your mother, when she died, to be a friend to you if I found you deserved it. I got you into the Free School-I bound you apprentice—'

"You did, sir, many, many thanks," murmured Abel, bending lower and lower at every sentence.

"And I am not going to desert you now, when, more than ever, a friend may be of advantage to you."

The worshipful alderman looked at his protegé, but Abel could not speak, and Mr. Gobble saw that he could not.

"I am come, in the first instance, myself, to give you an order for the use of my family. If you do not use me well, I shall make no complaints, but I shall leave you. If you supply me, invariably, with the best articles, not an ounce of soap or a pound of candles for the use of my household, shall ever be bought elsewhere."

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Many, many thanks, I'm very thankful to your Worship-but- I fear—I must decline your favour."

"Decline! why so?" hastily exclaimed Mr. Alderman Gobble, his face absolutely becoming several shades deeper in hue, though one would have thought at first that such a consummation was impossible: but hardly had he looked on Abel's face. than he repented his interrogation, or at