terial diminution in the
value the property that her husband had left her,--a diminution which
made her income barely enough to support herself, much less Alice--the
latter could hardly understand how anything which did not touch health or
life could cause such grief; and she received the intelligence with
irritating composure. But when, that afternoon, the little sick child
was brought in, and the grandmother--who after all loved it well--began a
fresh moan over her losses to its unconscious ears--saying how she had
planned to consult this or that doctor, and to give it this or that
comfort or luxury in after yearn but that now all chance of this had
passed away--Alice's heart was touched, and she drew near to Mrs. Wilson
with unwonted caresses, and, in a spirit not unlike to that of, Ruth,
entreated, that come what would, they might remain together. After much
discussion in succeeding days, it was arranged that Mrs. Wilson should
take a house in Manchester, furnishing it partly with what furniture she
had, and providing the rest with Alice's remaining two hundred pounds.
Mrs. Wilson was herself a Manchester woman, and naturally longed to
return to her native town. Some connections of her own at that time
required lodgings, for which they were willing to pay pretty handsomely.
Alice undertook the active superintendence and superior work of the
household. Norah, willing faithful Norah, offered to cook, scour, do
anything in short, so that, she might but remain with them.

The plan succeeded. For some years their first lodgers remained with
them, and all went smoothly,--with the one sad exception of the little
girl's increasing deformity. How that mother loved that child, is not
for words to tell!

Then came a break of misfortune. Their lodgers left, and no one
succeeded to them. After some months they had to remove to a smaller
house; and Alice's tender conscience was torn by the idea that she ought
not to be a burden to her mother-in-law, but ought to go out and seek her
own maintenance. And leave her child! The thought came like the
sweeping boom of a funeral bell over her heart.

Bye-and-bye, Mr. Openshaw came to lodge with them. He had started in
life as the errand-boy and sweeper-out of a warehouse; had struggled up
through all the grades of employment in the place, fighting his way
through the hard striving Manchester life with strong pushing energy of
character. Every spare moment of time had been s