e's greatest boasts was his wife. Next to his
Lord and Master, whose praise was ever on his lips, Sally came in for
honours. "Aar Sally," which was the usual homely and affectionate way
in which he spoke of her, was, humanly speaking, his sheet anchor; her
word was more to him than counsel's opinion, and considerably cheaper;
what "aar Sally" said was Act of Parliament in that little house. She
had gained a power there which was due to her, and which she exercised
for the benefit of the whole.

"Aar Sally" often figured in Abe's sermons, and always in a favourable
light, which shows the estimation he cherished for the worthy partner
of his joys and sorrows. Although, as years went on, time, labour, and
anxiety made their unmistakable impressions upon her, she was always
bonny to Abe; and up to the last, when he was a feeble old man, and she
was stricken in years, he used to say, "Aar Sally is th' handsomest
woman i' th' world." It is possible that this assertion may have been
the occasion of some tender disputes in some quarters, but nothing was
ever heard to that effect, and no one ever openly ventured to enter
into competition with Sally for the honour which was ascribed to her,
so that she was, _without dispute_, the handsomest woman in the world.

"Handsome is he, that handsome doth,
And handsome, indeed, that's handsome enough."

Beauty is only skin deep, but goodness goes right through. Sally was a
good wife, a good mother, a good Christian, and now her soul rests in
the presence of Him "who is fairest among ten thousand, and altogether
lovely."

CHAPTER VII.

Wind and Tide Against.

When Sally gave her hand to Abe, we have said it was "for better, for
worse," but she soon found there was a good deal of "worse" in it.
What a sad thing it seems that nearly all the pretty castles which
young people build for themselves in the air, should so soon fall to
pieces! What a wonderful contribution it would be to the science of
architecture if the ideas of these erections could only be realized in
substance! Ah, but such is the nature of things, that castles without
foundations can only be built in the air, and commonplace men are
unable to do that. It has been a great disappointment to the
constructors of these buildings, that they have never been permitted to
spend a single hour in them; so very attractive as they looked, too,
covered all over with gilt and flowers, and furnished in a style that