is influence. Dr.
Adams had been made painfully aware that gilding was not gold. The
beauty, position, and talents of his beloved child, although fully
acknowledged, had failed to establish her in life. "Look, Charles," he
said, after imparting all to his brother, absolutely weeping over the
state of uncomplaining but deep sorrow to which his child was reduced,
"if I could command the necessary sum, I would to-morrow insure my
life for a sum that would place them beyond the possible reach of
necessity of any kind."

"Do not wait for that," was the generous reply of Charles Adams; "I
have some unemployed hundreds at this moment. Come with me to-morrow;
do not delay a day, no, nor an hour; and take my word for it you will
have reason to bless your resolve. Only imagine what would be the
case if God called you to give an account of your stewardship." But he
checked himself; he saw that more was not necessary; and the brothers
separated for a few hours, both anxious for the morning. It was
impossible to say which of the two hurried over breakfast with the
greatest rapidity. The carriage was at the door; and Dr. Adams
left word with his butler that he was gone into the city on urgent
business, and would be back in two hours.

"I don't think," exclaimed Charles, rubbing his hands gleefully, "I
don't think, that if my dear niece were happy, I should ever have been
so happy in all my life as I am at this moment."

"I feel already," replied John, "as if a great weight were removed
from my heart; and were it not for the debt which I have contracted
to you--Ah, Charles, I little dreamt, when I looked down from the
hill over Repton, and thought my store inexhaustible, that I should
be obliged to you thus late in life. And yet I protest I hardly know
where I could have drawn in; one expense grows so out of another.
These boys have been so very extravagant; but I shall soon have the
two eldest off; they cannot keep them much longer waiting."

"Work is better than waiting; but let the lads fight their way;
they have had, I suppose, a good education; they ought to have
had professions. There is something to me awfully lazy in your
'appointments;' a young man of spirit will appoint himself; but it is
the females of a family, brought up, as yours have been, who are to
be considered. Women's position in society is changed from what it
was some years ago; it was expected that they must marry; and so they
were left, before their marria