d was helped to the door
of his home by some of its members, with the understanding that he was
to be enrolled among their number on the following evening. It would
take too long to picture Jane's distress when she met him after her long
waiting and remorse. Her husband in such a condition, and none to blame
but herself! She did not sleep that night, and in those dark hours she
determined that the past should be retrieved. She watched him anxiously
the next morning, but he never spoke, except to answer her questions in
monosyllables. Long before his time for returning from work had
arrived, the kitchen was spotlessly clean, the kettle singing on the
shining grate, and Jane herself arrayed in a clean gown and new ribbon.

"Surely, he'll want to stay at home to-night, when he sees how pleasant
everything looks again," said she to herself. When he came in, he took
no apparent heed of his surroundings, but drank his tea in moody
silence. When he had finished, he rose and took his hat, but Jane
started up, crying:

"Oh, Richard, pray don't leave me again to-night! See how nice
everything is, and I promise you it shall always be so."

"Don't take on so, lass," he said, touched by the sight of her tears; "I
won't be long away, but I've made a promise, and must stick to it," and
with that Jane had to be content. But though she watched until she grew
weary he came not to cheer her loneliness. She had carelessly permitted
him to leave her side, and now other influences were around him, and she
must reap the consequences of her folly. From that time Jane's evenings
were spent in solitude and tears. In vain she sought to keep her husband
under the safe shelter of his own roof. When he would have yielded to
her entreaties, his companions came and carried him away in triumph.
Eventually, Jane grew resentful and careless, and when her first little
one was born she had settled down to habitual neglect of her home and
her own person. The responsibility of motherhood roused her to fresh
efforts, which, if she had persevered in them, might have proved
successful, but she soon relapsed into her slatternly ways, and was
content to spend her days listlessly nursing her baby, and musing upon
the wretchedness of her lot. At first Richard had taken considerable
pride in the tiny atom of humanity which had found its way into the
home; but baby came in for her share of neglect, and after a while her
father took little notice of her.

"Poor li