wenty year old, John won't," and
the afflicted woman turned away her head and looked from the window to
hide her grief. Jennie stood all this time looking around upon the
meanly-furnished apartment, and upon its thinly clad inmates, and as she
saw a young girl looking wistfully at a pretty scarf which she wore, she
whispered earnestly to her teacher, and then untying it, she put it
around the neck of the poor girl, who seemed almost beside herself for
joy. The kind lady then left some money to procure something for John's
cough, and some woolen waistcoats from her pack, and, promising to go
often to read to the sick boy, they departed; but the breath of their
kindness lingered upon the hearts of those forlorn ones, and cheered
them in their struggles for life.

CHAPTER XII.

The air in those loathsome streets was scarcely less unwholesome and
impure than in the close and crowded rooms, yet the lady and the child
kept on still further from the cleanly portions of the city, to seek out
other objects of pity and benevolence; and as they walked, they saw a
woman running up the street, and heard her say to a respectable-looking
gentleman: "Doctor, if you have time, won't you please to stop at our
house?"

Madame La Blanche observed the physician more attentively, and found
that it was one of her old friends. He, at the same time, turning from a
poor man to whom he had been talking, recognized her, and on learning
her errand, he asked her to accompany him to see one of his patients.
"It is a melancholy case, madam," said he, "the girl is afflicted with a
species of hysteria, induced by constant pining for a worthless lover,
who ran away, not long since, with another woman. She is in a terrible
state, weeping incessantly. I think, perhaps, you may be able to comfort
her a little; you know we of the sterner mold have not much power in
such emergencies. There it is," said he, as they reached a dusky
building, at the entrance of which stood a strange group of idlers,
torn and dirty. The sick girl lived on the second floor, with her
grandmother and one sister, and as the strangers entered, she shrunk
still further back into the corner where she was sitting. A strip of
faded calico lay upon her lap, and now and then she would put a stitch
in it, but oftener she raised it to her face and wiped away the tears
that were constantly falling. Her grandmother seemed troubled and sad as
the doctor looked thoughtfully upon her, a