th me, the guardian of your younger
brothers and sisters. True, Miriam is of age, and Henry nearly so; but
still you are the eldest--your mind is more matured, and in your
judgment I have the most confidence. Try and forget, Edith, all but the
fact that, unless we make an exertion, one home for all cannot be
retained. Are you willing that we should be scattered like leaves in
the autumn wind? No! you would consider that one of the greatest
calamities that could befall us--an evil to prevent which we should use
every effort in our power. Do you, not see this clearly?"

"I do, mother," was replied by Edith in a more rational tone of voice
than that in which she had yet spoken.

"To open a store of any kind would involve five times the exposure of a
boarding-house; and, moreover, I know nothing of business."

"Keeping a store? Oh, no! we couldn't do that. Think of the dreadful
exposure!"

"But in taking boarders we only increase our family, and all goes on as
usual. To my mind, it is the most genteel thing that we can do. Our
style of living will be the same; our waiter and all our servants will
be retained. In fact, to the eye there will be little change, and the
world need never know how greatly reduced our circumstances have
become."

This mode of argument tended to reconcile Edith to taking boarders.
Something, she saw, had to be done. Opening a store was felt to be out
of the question; and as to commencing a school, the thought was
repulsed at the very first suggestion.

A few friends were consulted on the subject, and all agreed that the
best thing for the widow to do was to take boarders. Each one could
point to some lady who had commenced the business with far less ability
to make boarders comfortable, and who had yet got along very well. It
was conceded on all hands that it was a very genteel business, and that
some of the first ladies had been compelled to resort to it, without
being any the less respected. Almost every one to whom the matter was
referred spoke in favour of the thing, and but a single individual
suggested difficulty; but what he said was not permitted to have much
weight. This individual was a brother of the widow, who had always been
looked upon as rather eccentric. He was a bachelor and without fortune,
merely enjoying a moderate income as book-keeper in the office of an
insurance company. But more of him hereafter.

CHAPTER II.

MRS. DARLINGTON, the widow we have just introduced