od ready to
take his hat and gloves. As he entered the drawing-room his wife and
daughters rose to welcome him, with affection beaming in their eyes, as
did his three sons, who had just arrived at home from different
directions.

"Dear papa, you are not well," exclaimed Sophy, his eldest daughter,
leading him to a seat.

"Philip, what is the matter?" asked his wife, leaning over him.

"Sit down, dears, and I will tell you," he answered, pressing her hand.
"A severe trial has come upon us, but--"

"Dear Leonard, nothing has happened to him, I pray?" gasped out Mrs
Ashton. Leonard was a sailor son, the only one now absent.

"Thank Heaven he is well; I had a letter from him only to-day," answered
Mr Ashton. "Many mercies are granted us, and I trust, therefore, that
you will all submit to be deprived, without murmuring, of the wealth we
hitherto have thought our own. Dear ones, the law-suit has been decided
against us!"

The young Ashtons were silent for some minutes, but presently recovered
themselves.

"We can all work," exclaimed the three sons, in a breath.

"Our happiness does not consist in this," said Sophy, glancing round the
room, "We will make the smallest cottage comfortable for you, mamma."

"I am sure we can, and do all the work ourselves," cried Fanny, her next
sister.

"I can make a pudding, and churn, and could soon learn how to milk a
cow," said Agnes, the third daughter, laughing. "I have always wished
to live in a cottage in the country."

"I've arranged it," said Fanny. "Agnes shall be cook, I will be
waiting-maid, Sophy housekeeper, Philip bailiff, Harry gardener, and
Charley--oh, let me consider--general farm-servant: won't that be
excellent?"

"But you place your mother and me on the shelf," said Mr Ashton, his
spirits reviving from seeing the way in which his children bore the
announcement he had so dreaded making. "What are we to do?"

"O papa, of course you and mamma are to do nothing. We are all to work
for you," exclaimed Harry, a fine youth of fourteen, who looked as if
there was indeed work in him.

"Of course," added Charley. "How we ought to thank you, papa, for
having us taught carpentering, and that we all have such a fancy for
gardening. John says, too, that I know almost as much about pigs and
cows and sheep as he does; and as for Phil, he knows more about
everything than all of us put together."

Philip--Mr Ashton's eldest son--had not spoken after he had fi