ut the poor hand and arm felt tired and very feeble. She longed for the comfort of a sling, but decided not to wear one; the children would all notice it and pass remarks,

t big manly fellow, but there was also a very sweet feminine element in him; he could be domestic without being in the least girlish. He was devoted to Grannie, and often, tired as he w

arly? Surely Ally and me can manage the bit of work. But, I say, you ar

y hand and arm has been bothering me all night, and it makes me a bit shaky; but 'twill so

to work, and I'm real proud to put the kitchen straight and tidy. See how brig

, rubbing her hands and sinking into th

ear and steady. Then she looked straight up at David, who was in th

op down a minute; I hav

s at once, and put his ha

ve a rise in your wage

ts me to cast up accounts for him, and do little odds and ends of jobs. He says he has always railed against the School Bo

rannie, whose mind was entirely fixe

ng more a week, when

hat 'l

nnie; not so lon

r voice had a sad note in it. "Well, you see, Dave

irited, "but I thought you were content. Is

You stick to your work and please

and; that's the thing. A lad who knows shorthand, and can write an

aid Grannie. "Lor' save u

hil Martin-he managed to pick up shorthand, and he's earning ten shillings a wee

in her reflective voice;

annie; only a differ

all it writin

sure

he world, it's handwriting. I only do it twice a year, and it has finished me, my lad-it has finished me out and

, with a rising color in the little old cheeks, and a flash of almost fever in the bright eyes. Grannie had always been

's a trade in itself; but there's no chance of my getting to know it, for I aint

ool altogether-he's old enough, and he has passed the standard. He

ever; he's got more brains than any of us, and he earns a shilling or so

oves would take him

hurry about him leaving school. He'd best stay

ld woman to herself, "m

t David seeing the tears which s

ss about Alison?" s

s Grannie ros

p. They have lost a five-pound note at Shaw's and they choose, the Lord knows why, to

she left the sh

on doing so. Why, Dave, they think a sight of Alison in that shop. Mr. Shaw knows what she's worth; he don't believe she's a

e of goodness, doesn'

ving done nothing at all, and, being a Phipps and a Reed, it wasn't to be done. Don't talk any more about it, lad. Shaw will be going on his knees to have her back in a da

he young fellow. "There's n

h was scarcely like an apple this

it true that Ally is g

rdy wants her to marry

tful voice. "They say that Clay's daughter is mad

won't get Jim. Now, do hurry on with the br

gs round, laid a trencher of brown bread and a tiny morsel of butter on the board, and then, having seen that Grannie's teapot held an extra pinch of tea, he poured boiling water on it, and announced the meal as ready. The younger children now came trooping in, neat and tidy and ready for school. Grannie had trained

-sup up your porridge without letting a drop of i

d sleepy, took his place by the table. Harry was undoubtedly the black sheep of the family. Both Alison and David bestowed on him one or two anxious glances, but Grannie was too absorbed in some oth

-by, Ally," came from

ave departed quite an hour before the children, as she always had to be at the shop in good time to disp

ell, Grannie," be

ss don't matter in the least. Ef I were forty and looked pale, or eighty and looked pale, it might be a subject to worry 'em as love me; being sixty-eight, I have let off pressure, so to speak, an

ery slightly, and fixed her clear blue eyes on Grannie. She was about to

k," said the little woman. "You might make the beds, and

een white, but it was now of the deepest, most dingy shade of yellow-brown. It had a little band of brown ribbon round it, which ended neatly in a pair of strings; these were tied under Grannie's chin. Instead of her black cashmere shawl she wore one of very rough material and tex

to her granddaughter. Then she trott

asn't a better bargainer in all Shoreditch than Mrs. Reed, but to-day her purchases were very small-a couple of Spanish onion

ome again, and di

said Alison, rising and taking

loaf-I got a penny off it, being two days old; here's a nice piece of cheese; and onions cut up small will make a fine relish.

thout a word. They both took

e for me, child,"

to wear glasses, old as she was, except by lamplight. Alison therefore felt some surprise when she was invited to t

ere's much use, G

n wot?" sai

er-stitching-I haven't it

, A

ed her two e

-it's born in you, child, the same as bed-making is, and cleaning stoves, and washing floors, and minding babies, and coddling husbands, and bearing all the smaller

"Oh, Grannie, dear Grannie, my heart's that heavy I think it 'll break! I can't see the feather-stitching,

face tur

e family, and it 'ud be 'a burning shame for it to go out. Dear, dearie me, Alison, it aint a small thing that could make me cry, but I'd cry ef this beautiful s

knew it, Granni

aw that loop up clever and tight, you don't get the quilting, and the quilting's the feature that non

of the thread. The magic loop made its appearance; the quilting stood out in richness and majesty on the piece of cambric. Grannie

e said, "show me

de the first correct mystic passage with needle and thread; when she came t

st the thread like that!" called Grannie,

ere came the sudden and terrible pain-the shooting agony up the arm, followed by the partial paralysis of thumb and forefinger. Grannie could not help uttering a suppressed groan; her fac

s sake, wot's wrong?" said the girl, going on her

writes but twice a year; it's starvation, darlin'. Oh, darlin',

opped very low. Alison was full of consternation, but she did not understand grief like Grannie's. She was at one end of life, and Grannie was at the other; the old woman understood the girl-having past experience to guide her-but the girl could not understand the old woman. It was a relief to Grannie to tell out her fear, but Alison did not comprehend it; she was

tand, but she did her b

doctors are just forcing into the world to increase their earnings. I heard tell in the shop, by a girl what knows, that every year doctors push two new diseases into fashion, so as to

derfully. "No one can get a disease by writing two l

r a day or two. It's a good thing that I'm at home, for I can rub your hand and

like my luck ef I warn't." But all the same she