ould; and he showed her the verse, "Thy glory
has departed."

"The glory has departed from the whole street," she said, glancing
around. The new-comers were of a different class. No one swept the
debris up to the crown of the street any more; and the city
street-sweepers were infrequent visitors.

"It will be beginning all over again," Dr. Hoffman said to his
brother-in-law. "It seems a pity to waste so much endeavour. Yet if you
_can_ wait, the practice will be better worth while."

"It wouldn't be the fair thing to crowd in on young Dr. Fitch. He did
suggest a partnership, but I thought I would rather strike out for
myself. And I prefer having all my interests at home. Mother begins to
miss the children that have gone out; and there were so many of us."

When Mrs. Underhill looked back, she always thought those early years in
First Street were among the happiest of her life. They were broader and
richer than the first wedded years. They could not keep together always.
She wanted her children to know the sweetness of life and love. Steve
and Margaret were very happy. John and his wife had supped of sorrow;
but they were young and had each other; and children would come to
restore beauty for ashes, and the oil of joy for mourning.

She was delighted with Joe's decision. That night, when Joe had come
home a very ghost of himself, and dropped down on Hanny's bed, because
he hadn't strength to go up another pair of stairs, and she had clasped
her arms about him and cried, in her terror: "Oh, Joe, my dear son, is
it cholera?" had been an awful moment for her.

"No, mother dear; but if I can't have a few hours' rest, I shall die of
fatigue. Just let me sleep, but watch me well."

She had sat beside him the rest of the night, from midnight to morning,
counting his pulse now and then, which showed no indication of collapse.
Other mothers had their sons snatched from them,--mothers who were
tender and worthy, and who loved as fervently as she did.

When he awoke at the next noon, she felt as if he had been given back to
her out of a great danger. And she was glad now to have him plan for the
home-interest, glad there would be several years before she was called
upon to share him with any other woman.

So they said good-bye to the old house again, and placed their household
gods in a new home. They had gone farther than any of the others, though
they were nearer Margaret and Dolly. The Deans were lower down and on
Seco