ys seeking to cover up and
extenuate the defects of her sister-in-law, though she could not help
acknowledging their existence.

It had been a hard winter for the cooper. For a month he had been unable
to obtain work of any kind, and for the two months previous he had
worked scarcely more than half the time. Unfortunately for him, his
expenses for a few years back had kept such even pace with his income,
that he had no reserved fund to fall back upon in such a time as this.
That was no fault of his. Both he and his wife had been economical
enough, but there are a great many things included in family
expenses--rent, fuel, provisions, food, clothing, and a long list of
sundries, besides; and all these had cost money, of which desirable
article Uncle Tim's trade furnished not a very large supply.

So it happened that, as tradesmen were slow to trust, they had been
obliged to part with a sofa to defray the expenses of the month of
December. This article was selected because it was best convertible into
cash,--being wanted by a neighbor,--besides being about the only article
of luxury, if it could be called such, in possession of the family. As
such it had been hardly used, being reserved for state occasions; yet
hardly had it left (sic) the the house, when Aunt Rachel began to
show signs of extreme lowness of spirits, and bewailed its loss as a
privation of a personal comfort.

"Life's full of disappointments," she groaned. "Our paths is continually
beset by 'em. There's that sofa! It's so pleasant to have one in the
house when a body's sick. But there, it's gone, and if I happen to get
down, as most likely I shall, for I've got a bad feeling in my stummick
this very minute, I shall have to go up-stairs, and most likely catch my
death of cold, and that will be the end of me."

"Not so bad as that, I hope," said Mrs. Crump, cheerfully. "You know,
when you was sick last, you didn't want to use the sofa--you said it
didn't lay comfortable. Besides, I hope, before you are sick again we
may be able to buy it back again."

Aunt Rachel shook her head despondingly.

"There ain't any use in hoping that," said she. "Timothy's got so much
behindhand that he won't be able to get up again; I know he won't."

"But if he manages to get steady work soon, he will."

"No, he won't. I'm sure he won't. There won't be any work before spring,
and most likely not then."

"You are too desponding, Aunt Rachel."

"Enough to make me so. I