very calm, but
cannot think yet, or do anything. We have sent for his father,
who is down town. I try to hope that he may come to himself; but
he only lies and draws long breaths on his little bed. The
doctors are with him now; and I write this little scrawl to say
how dreadfully sorry I am. A merry Christmas to you all. Do not
be troubled about me.

Your own loving
HULDAH.

P.S. I have got some little presents for the children; but they
are all in my trunk, and I cannot get them out now. I will make
a bundle Monday. Good-by. The man is waiting.

This was the letter that was passed from hand to hand, of which the
contents slowly trickled into the comprehension of all parties,
according as their several ages permitted them to comprehend. Sam, as
usual, broke the silence by saying,--

"It is a perfect shame! She might as well be a nigger slave! I suppose
they think they have bought her and sold her. I should like to see 'em
all, just for once, and tell 'em that her flesh and blood is as good as
theirs; and that, with all their airs and their money, they've no
business to"--

"Sam," said poor Grace, "you shall not say such things. Huldah has
stayed because she chose to stay; and that is the worst of it. She will
not think of herself, not for one minute; and so--everything happens."

And Grace was sobbing beyond speech again; and her intervention
amounted, therefore, to little or nothing. The boys, through the
evening, descanted among themselves on the outrage. Grandmamma, and at
last their mother, took successive turns in taming their indignation;
but, for all this, it was a miserable evening. As for John Root, he took
a lamp in one hand, and "The Weekly Tribune" in the other, and sat
before the fire, and pretended to read; but not once did John Root
change the fold of the paper that evening. It was a wretched Christmas
eve; and, at half-past eight, every light was out, and every member of
the household was lying stark awake, in bed.

* * * * *

Huldah Root, you see, was a servant with the Bartletts, in Boston. When
she was only sixteen, she was engaged at her "trade," as a vest-maker,
in that town; and, by some chance, made an appointment to sew as a
seamstress at Mrs. Bartlett's for a fortnight. There were any number of
children to be clothed there; and the fortnight extended to a month.
Then the month became two months. Sh