said against
me, and had become ready to think ill of me. When, long after, this
lady found out her injustice, she took pains to declare my innocence
and to ask my forgiveness. But ladies should be careful not to
accuse poor girls wrongfully, and not to leave money about. Terrible
ruin may follow such carelessness.

After I had lived five years at the minister's, I married a
carpenter, a good man, whom my friends all liked; and, though I was
almost broken hearted at leaving my happy home, I was willing to
give up all for him.

And then new troubles and trials began. My husband was not very
successful at first, but I took in sewing, and we got along; we
loved each other, and were very happy. But about a year and a half
after our marriage, he had a fall from a house, and injured his
spine, and after a sickness of three months he died.

At the time he was brought home so dreadfully hurt, I had an infant
six weeks old; I was not very strong, and nursing my husband, and
the care of my infant, and my distress at his death, all together,
were too much for me; I had a severe illness. The doctor, who was a
very kind man, took care of me and sent me a nurse, who tended me
through the worst of my illness, and did not leave me till I was
able to crawl about, and help myself and take care of my poor baby,
who had been sadly neglected; for I was so sick that I required all
the nurse's attention; and now came my hardest trial.

One night in December, about three months after my husband's death,
I was sitting over my little fire late in the evening, reading my
Bible, in hopes that those words of comfort might quiet my grief,
when I was startled by a knock at the door, and my landlord entered.
He lived in the other part of the house in which he rented me one
room; I never liked this man, and at first I felt frightened, but in
a minute I got over it.

"I want the rent," he said.

"But you know," I said, "all my troubles, and that my poor husband
left nothing, that I have been sick, and that I have no money; I
shall soon be able to earn enough to pay you, if you will only take
pity on me and wait till I can."

"Well," said he, "one good turn deserves another; perhaps I'll
accommodate you if you will do something for me."

"If it is any thing I can do," I said, "I should be glad to do it,
and very thankful to you for your kindness in waiting for the rent."

He went into the other room and brought in a large bundle of laces
an