and as I am fond of children and used to them, I
might, with your kind recommendation, get a comfortable situation; but
in that case mother must go to the house, and I could not bear to think
of her there. She is very helpless, and of late she has come to look to
me, and would be miserable among strangers. I could earn enough at a
factory to keep us both, living very closely."

"Well, Nelly, your decision does you honour, but I think my plan is
better. Have you heard that Miss Bolton is going to leave us?"

"I have heard she was engaged to be married some day, 'm, but I did not
know the time was fixed."

"She leaves at the end of this month, that is in a fortnight, and her
place has already been filled up. Upon the recommendation of myself and
Mr. Dodgson, Mr. Brook has appointed Miss Nelly Hardy as her successor."

"Me!" exclaimed Nelly, rising with a bewildered air. "Oh, Mrs. Dodgson,
you cannot mean it?"

"I do, indeed, Nelly. Your conduct here has been most satisfactory in
every way, you have a great influence with the children, and your
attainments and knowledge are amply sufficient for the post of my
assistant. You will, of course, have Miss Bolton's cottage, and can
watch over your mother. You will have opportunities for studying to fit
yourself to take another step upwards, and become a head-mistress some
day."

Mrs. Dodgson had continued talking, for she saw that Nelly was too much
agitated and overcome to speak.

"Oh, Mrs. Dodgson," she sobbed, "how can I thank you enough?"

"There are no thanks due, my dear. Of course I want the best assistant I
can get, and I know of no one upon whom I can rely more thoroughly than
yourself. You have no one but yourself to thank, for it is your good
conduct and industry alone which have made you what you are, and that
under circumstances of the most unfavourable kind. But there is the bell
ringing for school. I suppose I may tell Mr. Brook that you accept the
situation; the pay, thirty pounds a year and the cottage, is not larger,
perhaps, than you might earn at a factory, but I think--"

"Oh, Mrs. Dodgson," Nelly said, smiling through her tears, "I accept, I
accept. I would rather live on a crust of bread here than work in a
factory, and if I had had the choice of everything I should prefer
this."

Mr. Dodgson here came in, shook Nelly's hand and congratulated her, and
with a happy heart the girl took her way home.

Jack, upon his return from the pit, found Ne