k comes home agen
with a bran-new wife, and we thought as how his life were a mending,
and things were looking up. He seemed brighter, too; but lack-a-day,
'twere not ten months afore I had to dig a grave for her, and she left
him a two-day-old babe to bring up--and little Miss Violet were the joy
of his heart--she were a purty, bright little maid, and were out on her
little pony every day wi' her father. She just doated on him, and he
were as lovin' as a woman wi' her. Then there come the day when the
little maid got a ugly fall from her pony, and all the Lunnon doctors
were sent for, but could do no good, and she were in bed a wasting away
for nigh a twelve-month, and then she died. 'Twere a mercy, for she'd
have been a hunchbacked cripple had she lived; and Mary Foster, what
were her maid, said as 'ow she suffered terrible at times. The Lord
were marciful in takin' of her. But 'tis not to be wondered at Mr.
Frank takin' it sorely. And then he shut hisself up in his painting
room, and never comed out of it till he had cut the little maid's
figure out in stone, like as you see it in the church. Many's the
visitor that I've a taken in to see it; and the ladies, they comes away
sheddin' tears at the little dear. He put up the coloured window too,
and comes to church reg'lar; but he's hard and cold, like the stones he
cut, and 'tis his troubles have spoilt him. I mind he were a
bright-faced, bonny lad once, that I used to show birds' nests to in
the hedges; but now he passes me wi'out a civil word or look. Ay, it's
trouble and toil and tribbylation that is man's lot here below!'

Betty listened to this long harangue breathlessly. Much of it she
could not follow, but the old man's closing sentence made her look at
him eagerly.

'Do you know about tribulation?' she asked.

'Me know of it! Ay, surely, when I've buried six sons and daughters,
and last of all my woife, and dug all their graves mysel', save two,
which were Jack in Mericky, which died of yellow fever, and only a
packet of letters sent back to us belonging to him, and in them there
were a bit o' his mother's grey hair which he had cut off that playful
afore he went away; and then there were Rob, that were killed down a
coal mine, and we could never get at his body, and he left a widder and
three childer, and she were married to one o' his chums afore a
twelvemonth past--the unfeeling hussy; but I've washed my hands of the
lot. Ay, I've been throu