my boy," said Phil, who long since having paid his own
rent, was becoming impatient at his friend's absence; "well, Owen, ye
might have settled about the whole estate by this time. Why did they
keep you so long?"

In a voice tremulous with agitation, Owen repeated the result of his
interview, adding, as he concluded, "And now, there's nothing for it,
Phil, but to see the landlord himself, and spake to him. I've got the
name of the place he's in, here--it's somewhere in London; and I'll
never turn my steps to home, before I get a sight of him. I've the
half-year's rent here in my pocket, so that I'll have money enough, and
to spare; and I only ax ye, Phil, to tell Mary how the whole case is,
and to take care of little Patsy for me till I come back--he's at your
house now."

"Never fear, we'll take care of him, Owen; and I believe you're doing
the best thing, after all."

The two friends passed the evening together, at least until the
time arrived, when Owen took his departure by the mail. It was a sad
termination to a day which opened so joyfully, and not all Phil's
endeavours to rally and encourage his friend could dispossess Owen's
mind of a gloomy foreboding that it was but the beginning of misfortune.
"I have it over me," was his constant expression as they talked; "I have
it over me, that something bad will come out of this;" and although
his fears were vague and indescribable, they darkened his thoughts as
effectually as real evils.

The last moment came, and Phil, with a hearty '"God speed you," shook
his friend's hand, and he was gone.

It would but protract my story, without fulfilling any of its objects,
to speak of Owen's journey to England and on to London. It was a season
of great distress in the manufacturing districts; several large
failures had occurred--great stagnation of trade existed, and a general
depression was observable over the population of the great trading
cities. There were daily meetings to consider the condition of the
working classes, and the newspapers were crammed with speeches and
resolutions in their favour. Placards were carried about the streets,
with terrible announcements of distress and privation, and processions
of wretched-looking men were met with on every side.

Owen, who, from motives of economy, prosecuted his journey on foot,
had frequent opportunities of entering the dwellings of the poor, and
observing their habits and modes of life. The everlasting complaints of