Delighted to see her old friend, whom she also, from early habit, addressed by the title of Uncle Joshua, although he was no relation, Mrs. Morrison’s countenance, for awhile beamed with that cheerful, animated expression which it used to wear in her more youthful days; but an expression of care and anxiety soon over shadowed it, and, in the midst of her kind attentions to her visiter, and her affectionate endearment to two sweet children, who were playing around the room, she would often remain thoughtful and abstracted for several minutes.

Uncle Joshua was an attentive observer, and he saw that something weighed heavily upon her mind.  When tea was over, and the little ones had gone to rest, he said, kindly,

“Come, Fanny, draw your chair close to my side, and tell me all your troubles, as freely as you used to do when a merry-hearted school-girl.  How often have listened to the sad tale of the pet pigeon, that had flown away, or the favourite plant killed by the untimely frost.  Come, I am ready, now as then, to assist you with my advice, and my purse, too, if necessary.”

Tears started to Mrs. Morrison’s eyes, as she replied.

“You were always a kind friend to me, Uncle Joshua, and I will gladly confide my troubles to you.  You know that after my husband’s death I took this house, which, though small, may seem far above my limited income, in the hope of obtaining a school sufficiently large to enable me to meet the rent, and also to support myself and children.  The small sum left them by their father I determined to invest for their future use.  I unwisely intrusted it to one who betrayed the trust, and appropriated the money to some wild speculation of his own.  He says that he did this in the hope of increasing my little property.  It may be so, but my consent should have been asked.  He failed and there is little hope of our ever recovering more, than a small part of what he owes us.  But, to return to my school.  I found little difficulty in obtaining scholars, and, for a short time, believed myself to be doing well, but I soon found that a large number of scholars did not insure a large income from the school.  My terms were moderate, but still I found great difficulty in obtaining what was due to me at the end of the term.

“A few paid promptly, and without expecting me to make unreasonable deductions for unpleasant weather, slight illness, &c., &c.  Others paid after long delay, which often put me to the greatest inconvenience; and some, after appointing day after day for me to call, and promising each time that the bill should be settled without fail, moved away, I knew not whither, or met me at length with a cool assurance that it was not possible for them to pay me at present—­if it was ever in their power they would let me know.”

“Downright robbery!” exclaimed Uncle Joshua.  “A set of pickpockets!  I wish they were all shipped for Blackwell’s Island.”