on, to the
widow, who had been so kind to him in his helpless years; and at length a
farewell present of some little money came to her, with his blessing for
past favours, saying that he was off for good and all to America.

"In the course of time, Widow Amos became frail and sand-blind. She was
unable to work for herself, and the charity she had shown to others no
one seemed disposed to extend to her. Her only child, Jeanie Amos, was
obliged to leave her service, and come home to the house of poverty, to
guard her mother's grey hairs from accident, and to divide with her the
little she could make at the trade of mangling; for, with the money that
Charlie Cheeper had sent, before leaving the country, the old woman had
bought a calender, and let it out to the neighbours at so much an hour;
honest poverty having many shifts.

"Matters had gone on in this way for two or three fitful years; and
Jeanie, who, when she had come home from service, was a buxom and
blooming lass, although yet but a wee advanced in her thirties, began to
show, like all earthly things, that she was wearing past her best. Some
said that she had lost hopes of Charlie's return; and others, that, come
hame when he liked, he would never look over his left shoulder after her.

"Well, sir, as fact as death, I mind mysell, when a laddie, of the rumpus
the thing made in the town. One Saturday night, a whole washing of old
Mrs Pernickity's that had been sent to be calendered, vanished like
lightning, no one knew where: the old lady was neither to hold nor bind;
and nothing would serve her, but having both the old woman and her
daughter committed to the Tolbooth. So to the Tolbooth they went,
weeping and wailing; followed by a crowd, who cried loudly out at the sin
and iniquity of the proceeding; because the honesty of the prisoners,
although impeached, was unimpeachable; the mob were furious; and before
the Sunday sun arose, old Mrs Pernickity awakened with a sore throat,
every pane of her windows having been miraculously broken during the dead
hours.

"The mother and the daughter were kept in custody until the Monday; when,
as they were standing making a declaration of their innocence before the
justices, who should come in but Francie Deep, the Sheriff-officer, with
an Irish vagrant and his wife--two tinklers who were lodging in the Back-
row, and in whose possession the bundle was found bodily, basket and all.
Such a cheering as the folk set up! i