e mother, thank Heaven! was very well, and it did one's heart good to
see her in that attitude in which I think every woman, be she ever so
plain, looks beautiful--with her baby at her bosom. The child was
sickly, but she did not see it; we were very poor, but what cared she?
She had no leisure to be sorrowful as I was: I had my last guinea now in
my pocket; and when _that_ was gone--ah! my heart sickened to think of
what was to come, and I prayed for strength and guidance, and in the
midst of my perplexities felt yet thankful that the danger of the
confinement was over; and that for the worst fortune which was to befall
us, my dear wife was at least prepared, and strong in health.

I told Mrs. Stokes that she must let us have a cheaper room--a garret
that should cost but a few shillings; and though the good woman bade me
remain in the apartments we occupied, yet, now that my wife was well, I
felt it would be a crime to deprive my kind landlady of her chief means
of livelihood; and at length she promised to get me a garret as I wanted,
and to make it as comfortable as might be; and little Jemima declared
that she would be glad beyond measure to wait on the mother and the
child.

The room, then, was made ready; and though I took some pains not to speak
of the arrangement too suddenly to Mary, yet there was no need of
disguise or hesitation; for when at last I told her--"Is that all?" said
she, and took my hand with one of her blessed smiles, and vowed that she
and Jemima would keep the room as pretty and neat as possible. "And I
will cook your dinners," added she; "for you know you said I make the
best roly-poly puddings in the world." God bless her! I do think some
women almost love poverty: but I did not tell Mary how poor I was, nor
had she any idea how lawyers', and prison's, and doctors' fees had
diminished the sum of money which she brought me when we came to the
Fleet.

It was not, however, destined that she and her child should inhabit that
little garret. We were to leave our lodgings on Monday morning; but on
Saturday evening the child was seized with convulsions, and all Sunday
the mother watched and prayed for it: but it pleased God to take the
innocent infant from us, and on Sunday, at midnight, it lay a corpse in
its mother's bosom. Amen. We have other children, happy and well, now
round about us, and from the father's heart the memory of this little
thing has almost faded; but I do believe that eve