e she loved. And the time was surely coming when all
her little strength would be tried to the uttermost.

"One night little Angel was aroused from her sleep by shrieks, and
groans and curses, and the sound of a heavy blow, and she sprang from
her little bed, to find her mother stretched senseless upon the floor,
with the blood trickling from a wound in her head, and a group of
uncouth, neighboring women gathered about her.

"'Lord save us!' they ejaculated, 'there's the child, we'd clean forgot
her.'

"'Mamma, mamma!' wailed the little creature, 'is she dead?'

"'There, there, dearie, don't take on so,' said good-natured Mrs.
Maloney. 'It's not dead she is at all. You see, the father came home,
after bein' on a bit of a spree, with a touch of delirium, and raised a
good deal of a fuss, and they took him away where he'll have to behave
himself till the whisky gets out of his head.'

"'There, she's comin' to now, raise her up, Mis' Macarty, till I give
her a little of this to drink. How do you feel now, poor thing?'

"'Why, what is it all about? How came I here?' said Mrs. Way, wildly;
then, as her memory returned to her, she clasped Angel's little figure
closely, and wept convulsively.

"'Don't take on so!' and, 'Let her alone, I tell you, it will do her
good!' and, 'Do you want the woman to git the hysterics?' came
indiscriminately from the females bending over her. Then Mrs. Maloney
bustled away to make her a reviving cup of tea, and little widow
Macarty, with her soft voice and pleasant way, soothed the heart-broken
woman.

"'Never you mind, ma'am, everybody has trouble of some kind. Remember
the children that's left, and keep your strength to work for them.'

"'You are good and kind,' moaned the sufferer, 'but I've nothing to
reward your services.'

"'Can't I do a neighbor a kindness without their talking about pay?
Suppose I should fall sick myself, maybe I'd have to pay before hand to
get a little help. Your lookin' better a ready. Don't make the tea too
strong, Mrs. Maloney, to excite her, and I think a bit of dry toast
would be just the thing to sort of tempt her appetite.'

"Mrs. Way sat up, and a Doctor, who had been sent for, dressed her
wounds, and pronounced her case not dangerous. 'You need not anticipate
any great harm from the blow, madam,' he said, 'but your general health
needs recuperating. Your mind acts on your body, and you must be kept
free from excitement of any kind.'

"'Free from