idow, as she sat musing by her small fire,
"to-morrow is Saturday; I have not a stick of wood, pound of meal, nor
dollar in the world, to provide food or warmth for my children over
Sunday."

"But, mother," responded her 'main prop,' George, the eldest boy, "that
gentleman who gave me the half dollar for going to the bank for him,
last week,--you know him we washed for at the United States Hotel,--said
he was to be here again to-morrow. I was to call for his clothes; so I
will go, mother, to-morrow; maybe he will have another errand for me, or
some money--he's got so much money in his trunk!"

"So, indeed, you said, good child; it's well you thought of it," said
the poor woman.

Next day the lad called at the hotel, and sure enough, the strange
gentleman had arrived again. He appeared somewhat bothered, but quickly
gathering up some of his soiled clothes, gave them to the lad, and bade
him tell his mother to wash and return them that evening by all means.

"Alas! that I cannot do," said the widow, as her son delivered the
message. "My dear child, I have neither fire to dry them, nor money to
procure the necessary fuel."

"Shall I take the clothes back again, mother, and tell the gentleman you
can't dry them in time for him?"

"No, son. I must wash and dry them--we must have money to-day, or we'll
freeze and starve--I must wash and dry these clothes," said the
disconsolate widow, as she immediately went about the performance, while
her son started to a neighboring coopering establishment, to get a
basket of chips and shavings to make fire sufficient to dry and iron the
clothes.

The clothes were duly tumbled into a great tub of water, and the poor
woman began her manipulations. After a time, in handling a vest, the
widow felt a knot of something in the breast pocket. She turned the
pocket, and out fell a little mass of almost pulpy paper. She carefully
unrolled the saturated bunch--she started--stared; the color from her
wan cheeks went and came! Her two little children, observing the wild
looks and strange actions of the mother, ran to her, screaming:

"Dear--dear mother! Mother, what's the matter?"

"Hush-h-h!" said she; "run, dear children--lock the door--lock the door!
no, no, never mind. I a--I a--feel--dizzy!"

The alarmed children clung about the mother's knees in great affright,
but the widow, regaining her composure, told them to sit down and play
with their little toys, and not mind her. The cause o