, a _very_ indifferent political
leader, and a few _rather_ partial theatrical criticisms. This extensive
newspaper we issued on three successive Sundays, circulating it among
our juvenile friends at the moderate rate of one cent a copy. On the
fourth Sunday we were caught in the act of printing our journal by Mr.
Romaine himself, who, although he with difficulty refrained from
laughing at the fun of the thing, gave us a long lecture on the crime of
Sabbath-breaking, and then made us distribute the type, forgetting that
we were breaking the Sabbath as much by taking our form to pieces as by
putting it together.

Mr. Romaine was also strongly opposed to theatres, but, nevertheless, I
visited the "little Frankin" four or five times every week, to see John
and Bill Sefton in the "Golden Farmer," and other thrilling melo-dramas,
a convenient ally, a garden and a shed enabled me to enter my chamber at
any hour during the night, without my employer's becoming aware of my
absence from home.

One night after having been to my favorite place of amusement, I
returned home about midnight. On entering the garden, I discovered to my
surprise a light streaming from the kitchen windows--a very unusual
occurrence. I crept softly up to one of the windows, and looking into
the kitchen, a scene met my gaze that filled me with astonishment.

Mrs. Romaine, arrayed in her night-dress only, was seated at a table,
and at her side was a young gentleman named Anderson, who boarded in the
house, and who was a prosperous merchant. His arm was around the lady's
waist, and her head rested affectionately upon his shoulder. She looked
uncommonly beautiful and voluptuous that night, I thought, young as I
was, I wondered not at the look of passionate admiration with which
Anderson regarded his fair companion, upon whose sensual countenance
there rested an expression of gratified love. Upon the table were the
remains of a supper of which they had evidently partaken; there were
also a bottle of wine and two glasses, partially filled. Mrs. Romaine
sipped her wine occasionally, as well as her paramour; and the guilty
pair seemed to be enjoying themselves highly. It was plain that the lady
was resolved to lose nothing by her estrangement from her husband; it
was equally plain that between her and Mr. Romaine there existed not the
smallest particle of love. I now ceased to wonder why the wedded pair
occupied separate apartments; and I came to the conclusion