pted him, and called upon
her in the evening.

"Is any thing the matter, Mrs. Turner?" he asked, with a feeling of
alarm, on entering the house and catching a glance at the expression
of that lady's countenance.

"Oh, yes, Mr. Martin, Mary is extremely ill," she replied, in
evident painful anxiety.

"What ails her?" he asked, showing equal concern.

"I do not know, Mr. Martin. She came home this evening, and as soon
as she reached her chamber fainted away. I sent for the doctor
immediately, and he says that she must be kept very quiet, and that
he will be here very early in the morning again. I am afraid she has
overworked herself. Indeed, I am sure she has. For many weeks back,
I have noticed her altered appearance and loss of appetite. It was
in vain that I urged her to spare herself for a few weeks and make
up the time afterwards. She steadily urged the necessity of getting
into business as soon as possible, and would not give up. She has
sacrificed herself, Mr. Martin, I very much fear, to her devotion to
the family." And Mrs. Turner burst into tears.

We need not say how sad and depressed Martin was, on turning away
from the house, without the chance of seeing Mary, under the idea,
too, of her dangerous illness. He called about ten o'clock the next
morning, and learned that she was no better; that the doctor had
been there, and pronounced her in a low nervous fever. Strict
injunctions had been left that no one should be admitted to her room
but the necessary attendants.

Regularly every morning and evening Martin called to ask after Mary,
for the space of fifteen days, and always received the sad
information that she was no better. His feelings had now become
intensely excited. He blamed himself for having favored the idea of
Mary's going to learn a trade.

"How easily I might have prevented it!" he said to himself. "How
blind I was to her true worth! How much suffering and toil I might
have saved her!"

On the evening of the sixteenth day, he received the glad
intelligence that Mary was better. That although greatly emaciated,
and feeble as an infant, a decidedly healthy action had taken place,
and the doctor expressed confident hopes of her recovery.

"May I not see her, Mrs. Turner?" he asked, earnestly.

"Not yet, Mr. Martin, The doctor is positive in his directions to
have her kept perfectly quiet."

Martin had, of course, to acquiesce, but with great reluctance. For
five days more he continued