ttered half-aloud, marked at last the final conclusion
of his mind; and as this was said, the penny which was still in his
fingers was thrust determinedly into his pocket.

As he returned home, Claire bought the orange, and in the act
experienced a new pleasure. By a kind of necessity he had worked on,
daily, for his family, upon which was expended nearly all of his
earnings; and the whole matter came so much as a thing of course, that
it was no subject of conscious thought, and produced no emotion of
delight or pain. But, the giving up of his tobacco for the sake of his
little Lizzy was an act of self-denial entirely out of the ordinary
course, and it brought with it its own sweet reward.

When Claire got back to his home, Lizzy was lying at the bottom of the
stairs, waiting for his return. He lifted her, as usual, in his arms,
and carried her up to his shop. After placing her upon the rude couch
he had prepared for her, he sat down upon his bench, and as he looked
upon the white, shrunken face of his dear child, and met the fixed, sad
gaze of her large earnest eyes, a more than usual tenderness came over
his feelings. Then, without a word, he took the orange from his pocket,
and gave it into her hand.

Instantly there came over Lizzie's face a deep flush of surprise and
pleasure. A smile trembled around her wan lips, and an unusual light
glittered in her eyes. Eagerly she placed the fruit to her mouth and
drank its refreshing juice, while every part of her body seemed
quivering with a sense of delight.

"Is it good, dear?" at length asked the father, who sat looking on with
a new feeling at his heart.

The child did not answer in words; but words could not have expressed
her sense of pleasure so eloquently as the smile that lit up and made
beautiful every feature of her face.

While the orange was yet at the lips of Lizzy, Mrs. Claire came up into
the shop for some purpose.

"An orange!" she exclaimed with surprise. "Where did that come from?"

"Oh, mamma? it is _so_ good!" said the child, taking from her lips the
portion that yet remained, and looking at it with a happy face.

"Where in the world did that come from, Thomas?" asked the mother.

"I bought it with my last penny," replied Claire. "I thought it would
taste good to her."

"But you had no tobacco."

"I'll do without that until to-morrow," replied Claire.

"It was kind in you to deny yourself for Lizzy's sake."

This was said in an approving