r hand and gazed into the glowing embers, as if the past
were all pictured there in living colors. For me to say, as I did, "how
distressing," no doubt seemed to her the merest platitude. There are no
conventional forms for the expression of the utmost grief or sympathy.
Silence is most eloquent, but I could not keep silence. At last I asked,
"What did she do to earn a living?"

"I learned to make men's clothes. There was a clothing store in the
place that gave me employment. First I made vests, and then pants; and
finally I got to be quite expert, and could earn several dollars a day.
But a dollar did not buy much in those times; and oh, the crying spells
that I had over my work, before I had mastered it sufficiently to have
confidence in myself. Sancho Panza blessed the man that invented
sleep--I say, blessed be the woman that invented crying-fits, for they
save thousands and thousands of women from madness, annually!"

This was a return to that sprightly manner of speech that was one of
Mrs. Greyfield's peculiar attractions; and which often cropped out in
the least expected places. But though she smiled, it was easy to see
that tears would not be far to seek. "And yet," I said, "it is a bad
habit to cultivate--the habit of weeping. It wastes the blood at a
fearful rate."

"Don't I know it? But it is safer than frenzy. Why I used--but I'll not
tell you about that yet. I set out to explain to you my marriage with
Mr. Seabrook. As I told you, everybody said I must marry; and the
reasons they gave were, that I must have somebody to support me; that it
was not safe for me to live alone; that my son would need a man's
restraining hand when he came to be a few years older; and that I,
myself, was too young to live without love!--therefore the only correct
thing to do was to take a husband--a good one, if you could get him--a
husband, anyway. As spring came round, and my mind regained something of
its natural elasticity, and my personal appearance probably improved
with returned health, the air seemed full of husbands. Everybody that
had any business with me, if he happened not to have a wife, immediately
proposed to take me in that relation. All the married men of my
acquaintance jested with me on the subject, and their wives followed in
the same silly iteration. I actually felt myself of some consequence,
whether by nature or by accident, until it became irksome."

"How did all your suitors contrive to get time for cour