for himself and his mother, and firing and lights, and
to pay the taxes with which even they were charged. Sometimes he did
not sell all the fish he had bought, and, as fish will not keep long, he
and his mother had to eat them themselves, or to sell them to other poor
people at a low rate. Then he wore out a good many pairs of shoes, as
well as other clothes, as he had to be out in all weathers; for those
who wanted a dish of fish for dinner would not have been satisfied had
he waited till the next morning to bring it to them on account of a
storm of rain or snow. Mrs Hadden had thought of taking to sell fish
herself, to relieve Ben somewhat, but he urged her not to make the
attempt. She was not strong, and, although a fisherman's wife, had been
unaccustomed to out-door work. She had been in service during her
younger days as a nurse, where she enjoyed every comfort she could
desire. When she married, though no man's cottage was better kept than
John Hadden's, and no children were better cared for and brought up, she
could not help him in the way the wives of most of the fishermen were
expected to do. "But then," as John remarked, when some of his friends
warned him that he was a lout to marry a fine lady and a useless person,
"she is a God-fearing, pious woman, and she'll do her best in whatever I
wish her to do." So she did, and till the day of his death John never
had reason to regret his choice.

"God will show us what ought to be done, and give the strength to do it,
if I ought to go out and sell fish to obtain our daily food," said Mrs
Hadden, after she had one day been talking over the subject with Ben.

"Yes, mother, there is no doubt but that God will show us what ought to
be done," he answered. "But the minister was telling us on Sunday that
God brings about what He wishes to take place through human means, and
does not work what we call miracles; so I think that, if He hasn't given
you the strength of body to carry about a basket of fish through the
country, He does not wish you so to employ yourself."

The discussion was cut short by the appearance of Lieutenant Charlton,
who had ridden up to the door of the cottage. Ben ran out to welcome
him and to hold his horse, but he said, "No, we must get somebody else
to take care of the animal while you and I have a talk with your mother
over matters." Ben easily found a lad to lead his kind friend's horse
up and down on the sand, and then he accompanie