e habit of assembling, for their amusement, to
torment her. Jenny had often threatened to complain to the parents of
the boys, and, should they not attend to her complaints, to place the
whole case before the magistrates. She had complained to several whose
children she recognised, but they either took no notice of what she
said, or were very angry with her; and she had therefore resolved, the
next time she found any boys ill-treating the old woman, to put her
threat into execution. `Yes, sir, and that I must do, even though some
be gentlefolks' sons; one be your son, sir, and sorry I have to speak
it. It's that young Master William of yours, and he is the most daring
and outrageous of the lot,' she added. `It's a shame, sir, I'm sure
you'll allow, that they should go on so; for a more harmless
sorrow-stricken soul I have never met in my life than poor Old Moggy
here. All she's gone through would make a book, and it's not to be
wondered at that with all her trials, and care, and the cruelty she
meets, she is often crazy like. Maybe she's listening now, and knows
what I say, for at times she has got as much sense as any one; and it's
then that she feels her loneliness, and poverty, and wretchedness, and
that makes her go off again as bad as ever, so it seems to me, sir.' I
would not at first believe the truth of the accusation brought against
William, but on closely questioning Jenny, I found that, without doubt,
it is unfortunately the fact that one of our children is capable of thus
cruelly ill-treating one of his fellow-creatures; and that he is so
ignorant as not to be aware of his crime; indeed he has a vague idea
that he was rather performing a meritorious act."

After sitting silent for some time, and grieving over the delinquencies
of her son, Mrs Morgan, like a tender mother, endeavoured to find some
excuse for his conduct; for one of the hardest trials which parents--who
have learned to look upon sin in its true light--have to bear, is to
discover that any one of their children is guilty of a crime. The
Doctor, however, upright himself, and having a clear and distinct view
of right and wrong, would not allow himself to find any excuses for the
crime, though anxious as his wife for the good of the criminal; nor did
he fail to blame himself, as Mrs Morgan blamed herself, for allowing
their child, during the most impressible years of his life, to go from
under their charge.

"Still," argued the Doctor, "