cloak she had worn the winter before, how thin and
thread-bare it was; but I could not refuse the sweet pleading eyes,
which were looking at me with such anxiety, lest I should reject her
gift; so I said, 'Well, Jane, since your father and mother both approve,
and you yourself are willing to give up your new cloak for the sake of
these poor houseless ones, I can only say, God speed your gift, and make
you to realize, in its fullest sense, the blessedness of giving!' Her
face brightened with pleasure, and she thanked me warmly, as she made
her curtsey and prepared to leave. 'No, I cannot let you go away,' I
said; 'you must come with me, and take this money to Mrs. Martin
yourself.'

'Oh, please, ma'am, I'd rather not,' she said, looking shy and timid
again.

'But I want you to go, Jane, because I think this kindness and sympathy
from one so young, and who is not much richer than herself, will do the
poor woman as much good as the money itself. She is very much cast
down; it troubles her to think that she is dependent upon others; and I
think if you could say to her exactly what you have just said to me--if
you told her the real pleasure you have in helping her, it might cheer
and comfort her to think that the charity which is bestowed upon her in
her heavy trouble is not flung at her as we might fling a bone to a dog,
but is the offering of warm, kindly, and loving hearts.'

I am not quite sure if she understood all that I said to her, but she
made no further opposition to going with me. I therefore got ready as
soon as possible, and we went together to see Mrs. Martin. She was still
with the same kind neighbour who had taken her in on the night of the
fire, and still sat cowering over the fire in the very spot and attitude
that I had left her two days before.

'She sits that way the whole day,' the good woman whispered to me, 'and
there's no rousing her; she seems gone stupid-like.'

I went up to her and told her my errand, saying that the money I put in
her hand was from the little girl who came with me, and who was anxious
to contribute something to help her in her sore need. She looked at me,
at the girl, and then at the money, and muttered--

'Yes, yes, I must live on charity now, and then go to the workhouse.'

'Speak to her, Jane,' I said, while I left the two together, and began
talking to the woman of the house, that they might not feel themselves
observed. I heard Jane speaking at first in very low tones