r head, and
left her. I then took the candle and looked into the drawer, and found a
book lying in a corner with one side of the cover off. It was very dirty
and stained. I took it out, and went again to my chair and opened it. It
was Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," and full of plates. I had never heard
of the book, and did not know what the title meant. I first looked at
all the plates, and then I turned to the opening of the book. On the
blank leaf at the commencement, in very neat and lawyer-like
handwriting, was "Anna James, on her marriage, from her dear friend Mary
Farquhar, Tynemouth, June the 19th, 1738." By this I discovered, as I
thought, the married but not the maiden name of old Nanny; and very
probably, also, that Tynemouth was her native place. She was married,
too, in 1738, that was more than sixty years back--and her age was,
therefore, in all likelihood, nearly eighty years. I pondered over this
for some time, and then I commenced reading; and so interested was I
with the contents that I did not raise my head until the candle had
burned to the socket: as I was about to light another, I perceived
daylight through the chinks of the window shutter. So I laid down the
book, and walking softly out of the room, unlocked the shop door to get
a little fresh air; for the room that old Nanny was sleeping in was,
from dirt and neglect, very close. I could not, however, unlock the door
without waking up Nanny who screamed out "Thieves!--murder! thieves!"
until she was wide awake.
[Illustration: JACK IN NANNY'S ROOM.--Marryat, Vol. X., p. 151.]
"Oh! it is you, Jack?" said she at last. "I dreamed there were thieves
breaking in."
"Nothing but day breaking in, mother," said I. "How do you feel this
morning?"
"Better, Jack, better; I've not so much pain, but I'm very thirsty; give
me some water."
"No, mother; the doctor said you must not drink cold water. If you'll
wait a little, I'll run and fetch you something warm. I won't be gone
long, so try to go to sleep again."
Old Nanny made no reply, but turned her face away from the light, as if
in obedience to my orders. I locked the outer door and hastened home.
I found my mother and Virginia sitting in the nice clean room, the fire
blazing cheerfully and the breakfast on the table, and I could not help
making the contrast in my own mind between it and the dirty abode I had
just left. I ran into the back kitchen to wash my face and hands, and
then returned, k
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