veral respects, but he had no children. Though receiving
good wages, he had saved nothing, having spent them extravagantly in
obtaining luxuries for himself and his wife, for which they cared but
little. By refraining from these, he was well able to feed these
additional mouths, and for some time his wife made no complaint at his
doing so. Still there was nothing saved up for a rainy day. Simon
Hayes took mightily to little Mary. There was nothing he thought too
good for her; but he showed no affection for Mark. He was a boy doomed
to labour as he had been, and the only labour he could think of for him
was down in the mine, first as a trapper, then as a putter, and finally
as a hewer. Mrs Gilbart shuddered when he alluded to the subject. She
had hoped to bring him up to some trade which he could follow above
ground, though it would be several years before he would be old enough
to be apprenticed. "But he is not very strong, and he is my only one,
uncle, you know," she answered. "Let him go to school first. I have
taught him what I could, but he will get on with his learning there
faster than at home."

"What's the use of learning to a miner?" exclaimed Simon with a gruff
laugh. "However, you must have your way, Mary, and I don't mind paying
for his schooling, though, look ye, if times get bad, he'll have to earn
his bread like the rest of us." Mrs Gilbart thanked her uncle, hoping
that the evil day was put off for a long time. Little Mark went to
school, and being fond of his books, made rapid progress in reading and
writing. He thus soon possessed himself of the key of knowledge.
Little Mary was also sent to a girls' school, and being bright and
intelligent, soon became a favourite pupil of the mistress. At length
Mrs Hayes fell ill, and her niece's time was so fully occupied in
attending on her, that she could gain nothing by her work. Then there
was the doctor to pay. Simon also was laid up for some weeks from a
severe bruise by a fall of coal. "I can't stand this no longer, niece,"
he said one day. "The next time I go down the pit I must take Mark with
me." Mrs Gilbart begged hard that her boy might remain above ground.
She would take him from school and try to get employment for him on a
farm. Simon was obdurate; if she would not agree to his wishes she
might leave his house. Her fears were all nonsense, the boy would do
well enough in the pit, he would get tenpence a-day as a trapper--on a
f