ttle baby! your father doesn't care for you or me! He loves the
drink and his public-house mates a deal better than the pair of us,"
sighed Jane many a time. Well, Jane, who sent him to the public-house to
find friends and amusements, in the first place? You have no one to
thank but yourself you know, or you might know, if you would care to
think. But Jane seldom did think, and the gulf in the cottage home
between husband and wife grew wider and deeper as the months and years
rolled away. Children were born to their lot of misery and neglect, and
Jane had hard work to fill their hungry mouths and cover their
nakedness. Pitifully small grew the weekly sum which Richard brought
home to meet the growing need of those who belonged to him. How else
could it be when so large a portion of his hard-earned money went to
support the wife and children of the thriving publican whose house
Richard patronised every evening of the week?

"I don't know how you expect me to get bread and pay rent with that
pittance," said Jane one Saturday evening as he threw a few shillings
into her lap.

"If it isn't enough, why don't you go out, then, and earn for yourself,
like many a better woman than you is doing?" he growled.

How low Richard had sunk! But he had only gone down one step at a time.

"And who'd look after your children, I'd like to know, while their
mother's away slaving?" retorted his wife.

"Precious little looking after such dirty brats want. Something to eat
once or twice a day, and mud to make pies of, and they're enough like
their dirty mother to be satisfied," said Richard, scowling in disgust
at his miserable-looking wife, who replied:

"I'm a good match for you, whatever you may say, although I should be
sorry to have your red nose and bleared eyes." Richard muttered an oath,
and his wife disappeared, having gone as far as she deemed prudent.

"I've a good mind to go out cleaning after all. It's a new idea. I can't
sit in the house, and fold my arms in idleness while the children want
bread," said Jane to herself that evening. "It's true enough that the
children don't want much looking after. I dare say Mrs. Jones would take
baby and give the others their food for a few pence, if I could get
work."

"I declare I'll do it!" she presently decided.

There was little difficulty in getting work, and for her children's sake
Jane worked as she had never done before. With the continual strain on
body and mind she grew pr