e of the door. I was too much troubled and
frightened to go to bed. At break of day he was in my room again.
"Will you do as I desire," said he, "or will you clear out? I'll
make you pay for putting these things on the dirty floor." He
stopped a minute. "Come, now, hide these things, and we are friends,
and no trouble about your rent, and all's right, you know."

I thank heaven that I never hesitated; it did not seem a possible
thing to me that I should assist this man in hiding his stolen
goods. I am certain that I should have rather died.

I cannot think now how it was that I felt so calm and so strong. I
collected together a small bundle of clothes, and tried to wrap up
my baby so that the cold air should not come to her; it seemed as if
I could hear my conscience say, "Be not afraid;" I felt as if I was
not alone.

I left the house, determining to go from door to door till I found
some one to take me in. I was refused admittance at two or three;
and then I remembered a poor widow who had sent me broth when I was
sick, and I went to her. It was hardly daylight when I knocked;
there was a driving sleet, but my heart did not fail me, my God did
not forsake me.

It was some time before the good woman came down; I had taken my own
cloak to cover my dear baby, and I was wet to the skin, and had such
an ague fit from cold that I could hardly speak to beg shelter for
heaven's sake.

She took me in, she made a fire, and got me something hot to drink;
she took my child, and dried and warmed it, and put her and me to
bed.

I found that the fever I had just been cured of was returning; the
cold and wet was too much for my strength; I thought I might die,
and I told the kind widow my story, and the name of the clergyman
with whom I had lived in the country, and begged her if I should
grow worse to send for him, for I knew he would be my friend. It was
fortunate I did, for I grew ill very fast; I had a high fever, and
did not know afterwards what I said.

She sent for him. He came and told her that all I said was true; he
got me a nurse and physician, and gave the poor widow money for me,
and said he would pay all my expenses, and thanked her as much, she
told me afterwards, for her care of me as if I had been his own
child.

After the fever left me, a severe rheumatism settled in my back,
which I had strained in lifting my husband. I have never since been
able to stand upright. But O, this was nothing to what I suffe