During his absence Mrs. Benson purchased some apples of the man that then owned the orchard, and dried them, hoping to obtain some needful clothing for herself and children.  She cleaned her ceiling, whitewashed the plastering, and made everything about the house look as comfortable as possible, and enjoyed the privilege, at least, of doing as she pleased, without being found fault with, which was to her a great luxury, as her expressed wishes were generally vetoed at once.

She was a true mother, and strove to bring her children up in the paths of truth and honesty.  But there was such an opposing current, and such frequent bickerings between herself and husband, that they caught the infection, and seemed to live only to torment each other.

“O,” said Mrs. Benson one day, to her sister Sarah, who was spending a, day with her, “this is the princely mansion father promised me, as a reward for giving up all my cherished hopes.  Poor William has lost his dear mother, I hear.”

“Yes, she died one day last week; she liked much where they lived, and after William came into possession of his uncle’s princely fortune, her life was spent in ease and affluence.  He is likely to become one of the richest men in the country, and he is loved for his kindness and respected for his virtues.  Your marriage doomed him to celibacy.”

A shade rested for a moment upon Mrs. Benson’s brow, as she said,

“O, these dark brown years have brought no joy to me in their course.  How I have lived I scarcely know.  How dim-sighted is human reason?  The poor William is now the rich man, and the rich Benson is the poor one.  Could father know the misery I have undergone, he would think his comforts dearly purchased; but he is gone from earth, and I will not reproache his memory; but, oh, it has been hard—­very hard.”

“But come, Sarah, come into this old room with me, and help me pack my dried apple for market.  Is’nt it nice?  I took great pains with it, as I wished it to fetch the first price in the market.  I am going to get me a new cheap calico dress.  This old patched faded thing is the only one I have.

“I have wove a great deal this fall, and I think what I shall get for that and the apple, will fix the children and me up quite comfortably.  The children paid for these apples, by picking up apples for Mr. Lambert, and he says he shall want them again.  I don’t know as I care much how long Benson stays in jail, for I enjoy myself much better than I did when he was at home, scolding round all the time.  And it has made a perfect vixen of me, and I scold almost as bad as he does; and the children catch it, and we have a little bedlam here all the time; O, I wish it were not so, I cannot lie down quietly and sleep at night, and I know something fearful will come of it.”

“O, sister, I hope nothing worse than has come.  I am glad to hear your prospects look more favorable, and wish it were in my power to help you.  If you get a dress I will help you make it, and the children’s clothing.  But I forgot to tell you Sarah is dead, and Sambo has got a cancer, and it is thought he will survive her but a short time.”