and then people lose all the money they have placed in them.

Cicely was not always poor. She can remember (just as you can a dream,
when you first rub open your eyes in the morning) a great big house
with richly carpeted halls, and massive chandeliers, and rich sofas and
curtains, and gilded mirrors, and silver vessels, and black servants.

She remembers that her father carried a gold-headed cane, that he used
to let her play horse with; and that he used to sit a long while at the
table with gentlemen, drinking wine and eating fruit after dinner; and
that often, he would ring for the nurse to bring _her_ in, to show her
to the gentlemen when her curls had been nicely smoothed and her little
embroidered frock put on; and that then he would stand her up on the
table and make her sing a little song, and that the gentlemen would
clap their hands and laugh, and grow very merry about it.

Then she remembers that one day there was a great running to and fro in
the house; and she saw her father lifted from a carriage in the arms of
two gentlemen, and that blood was flowing from his side; and then her
nurse caught her up, and carried her into the nursery, and she didn't
go down stairs or see her papa again for many days; and she remembers
that one day, getting tired waiting for him to come up and see her, she
crept down _by herself_ to his room, and found him lying on the bed,
with his hands crossed over his breast, and only a linen sheet thrown
over him, though it was very cold weather; and she said, "Papa?"--but
he didn't answer; and she got a chair and climbed up in it to put her
hand on his face, to wake him, but he was as cold as the marble image
in the hall; and then her nurse called, "Cicely!--Cicely!" and seemed
frightened, when she found her _there_; but wouldn't tell her _why_ her
papa laid there so still, or _why_ he wouldn't speak to his little
girl.

And then she remembers going away from the big house, and bidding
good-bye to her black nurse; and ever since that they had lived in poor
places, and people spoke harshly to them; and though her mamma never
answered them back, she sighed heavily, and sometimes leaned her head
on her hand and wept.

And one night it snowed in on the bed, and Cicely caught cold and had a
fever, which left her with the dreadful lameness that I told you about;
and then Cicely's mother groaned because she had no money; for she
thought some of the great doctors, if they were well paid f