ey, and Mr. Fairchild said that he could
give no opinion about it till the owner of the house and the masons
came, and they were expected every hour.

Mrs. Goodriche said that she had lived in that house nearly twenty
years, and should be sorry to leave it; but that she and Sukey, on
windy nights, often felt that they should be glad to be out of it.

"And yet," said Mr. Fairchild, "it may stand long after you and I;
still it is a wide, dull place for two persons, and very solitary."

"I wish I could get a house your way," replied Mrs. Goodriche; "though
now we shall be more than myself and Sukey; and this brings me to the
subject I wanted to consult you about before the business of the
chimney."

Mr. Fairchild knew that Mrs. Goodriche had had one only brother, who
had gone abroad, when young, as a merchant. He had married, and had one
son; this son had also married, and Bessy was the only child of this
son. Mrs. Goodriche's brother had died years ago, as had also his son's
wife; at which time her nephew had sent his daughter home and placed
her in a school in some seaport in the south of England, where she had,
it seems, learned little or nothing.

Within the last month, Mrs. Goodriche had heard of the death of her
nephew, and that she was left as guardian of his daughter.

"I had an acquaintance going to Plymouth only last week," she added;
"and I got him to take charge of Bessy and bring her here. She has been
with me only a few days, and is very glad to leave school, which does
not speak well for her governess; or if not for her governess, for
herself. As to what she is, I can as yet say little," added the old
lady, "except that she seems to be affectionate and good-tempered; but
she is also idle, wasteful, and ignorant in the extreme. She can't read
even English easily enough to amuse herself with any book; and as to
sewing, she is ready at a sampler, but could not put the simplest
article of clothing together. With regard to any knowledge of the
Bible, I much doubt if she can tell if the tower of Babel was built
before or after the Flood. She is a determined gossip and a great
talker; but Sukey, to whom she is always chattering, assures me that
she has never heard her say anything bad beyond nonsense."

"You mean to keep her with you?" asked Mr. Fairchild.

"I do," said Mrs. Goodriche; "I think it my duty, and I am far from
disliking the poor thing. She has had so much schooling, and gained so
little by it