d woman, what I
have just said?"

"I will," was meekly replied.

"Very well. If he doesn't come up to the notch then, I shall take my
course. It is simple and easy; so you had better be warned in time."
And the man walked out as abruptly as he came in. Mrs. Foster looked
after him from the window, where she had continued standing, and saw
him stop and look attentively at their cow, that stood waiting to be
milked, at the door. A faintness came over her heart, for she
understood now, better than before, the meaning of his threats.

An hour after dark George came home with his hand in a sling. He went
up, quickly, to where his mother was sitting by a table at work, and
dropping down in a chair, hid his face in her lap, without speaking,
but bursting into tears as he did so.

"Oh George! what is the matter?" exclaimed the mother in great alarm.
"What ails your hand?"

"It got mashed in the wheel," replied the boy, sobbing.

"Badly?" asked the mother, turning pale, and feeling sick and faint.

"It's hurt a good deal; but the doctor tied it up, and says it will get
well again; but I won't be able to go to work again in a good while."

And the lad, from sobbing, wept bitterly. The mother leaned her head
down upon her boy, and wept with him.

"I don't mind the hurt so much," said George, after he had recovered
himself; "but I won't be able to do any thing at the mill until it gets
well."

"Can't I go to work in his place, mamma?" spoke up, quickly, little
Emma, just in her tenth year. Mrs. Foster kissed the earnest face of
her child and said--

"No, dear; you are not old enough."

"I'm nine, and most as big as George. Yes, mamma, I'm big enough. Won't
you go and ask them to let me come and work in brother's place till he
gets well?"

The mother, her heart almost bursting with many conflicting emotions,
drew the child's head down upon her bosom, and held it tightly against
her heart.

The time of severer trial was evidently drawing near. Almost the last
resource was cut off, in the injury her boy had sustained. She had not
looked at his hand, nor did she comprehend the extent of damage it had
received. It was enough, and more than enough, that it was badly
hurt--so badly, that a physician had been required to dress it. How the
mother's heart did ache, as she thought of the pain her poor boy had
suffered, and might yet be doomed to suffer! And yet, amid this pain,
came intruding the thought, which she tried to