breath up-stairs, with a strange pair of poor
little legs under my arm; but, she began to
cry over the child the moment slie saw him,
like a sensible woman as she always was,
and she still cried her eyes out over him in a
comfortable manner, when he at last lay fast
asleep, tucked up by my hands in Trottle's
bed.

"And Trottle, bless you, my dear man,"
said I, kissing his hand, as he looked
on: " the forlorn baby came to this refuge
through you, and he will help you on your
way to Heaven."

Trottle answered that I was his dear
mistress, and immediately went and put his
head out at an open window on the landing,
and looked into the back street for a quarter
of an hour.

That very night, as I sat thinking of the
poor child, and of another poor child who
is never to be thought about enough at
Christmas-time, the idea came into my mind
which I have lived to execute, and in the
realisation of which I am the happiest of
women this day.

"The executor will sell that House,
Trottle? " said I.

"Not a doubt of it, ma'am, if he can find
a purchaser."

"I'll buy it."

I have often seen Trottle pleased; but, I
never saw him so perfectly enchanted as he
was when I confided to him, which I did.
then and there, the purpose that I had
in view.

To make short of a long story—and what
story would not be long, coming from the
lips of an old woman like me, unless it was
made short by main force!—I bought the
House. Mrs. Bayne had her father's blood
in her; she evaded the opportunity of
forgiving and generous reparation that was
oft'ered her, and disowned the chiid; but, I
was prepared for that, and, loved him all the
more for having no one in the world to
look to, but me.

I am getting into a flurry by being
over-pleased, and I dare say I am as incoherent as
need be. I bought the House, and I altered
it from the basement to the roof, and I
turned it into a Hospital for Sick Children.

Never mind by what degrees my little
adopted boy came to the knowledge of all the
sights and sounds in the streets, so familiar
to other children and so strange to him;
never mind by what degrees he came to be
pretty, and childish, and winning, and
companionable, and to have pictures and toys
about him, and suitable playmates. As I
write, I look across the road to my Hospital,
and there is the darling (who has gone over
to play) nodding at me out of one of the once
lonely windows, with his dear chubby face
backed up by Trottle's waistcoat as he lifts
my pet for "Grandma" to see.

Many an Eye I see in that House now, but
it is never in solitude, never in neglect.
Many an Eye I see in that House now, that is
more and more radiant every day with the
light of returning health. As my precious
darling has changed beyond description for
the brighter and the better, so do the not
less precious darlings of poor women change
in that House every day in the year. For
which I humbly thank that Gracious Being
whom the restorer of the Widow's son and of
the Ruler's daughter, instructed all mankind
to call their Father.

THREE CHRISTMAS READINGS,

BY

Mr CHARLES DICKENS,

Will take place at ST. MARTIN'S HALL, LONG ACRE.
On CHRISTMAS EVE, Friday, December 24th; on the
evening of BOXING-DAY, Monday, December 27th; and
on the evening of TWELFTH NIGHT, Thursday, January
6th. Each evening, THE CHRISTMAS CAROL, and THE
TRIAL FROM PICKWICK.

Number 458 of HOUSEHOLD WORDS will be

A

NEW YEAR'S NUMBER.

THE EIGHTEENTH VOLUME OF HOUSEHOLD
WORDS, bound in cloth, price Five Shillings
and Sixpence, will be published on Saturday, the 11th of
December.