will
have no wish to make my business a subject of conversation in the
family, nor of idle gossip out of it."

"You're right there, sir," was the old butler's hearty reply; "you may
trust me. I've too much respect for the family to go about like a
sieve, shaking such things as I've a notion you're a-going to speak to
me about all up and down the country, for every idle man, woman, and
child to be wagging their tongues about them."

"Well then, Harry," continued his young master, "I shall count upon your
discretion as to silence, and on your help, where you can be of use to
me."

"They're both at your service, Mr Amos."

"Then I shall speak openly to you, and without any reserve. I need
hardly remind you of the sad beginning of our family troubles. You will
remember too well how my poor sister left her home, and married secretly
a man altogether beneath her. You know how terribly my poor father was
cut up by that marriage, and how he closed the door of our home against
Miss Julia, as I must still call her to you. I am not blaming him nor
excusing her, but just referring to the facts themselves. I never knew
till to-day who or what my poor sister's husband was. I never dared
mention the subject to my father, especially after my dear mother had to
leave us; but ever since they were gone from us I have had it on my
heart to make it the great business of my life to get them back again.
I know it can be done, and I believe, with God's help, it will be done.
I have found out to-day that my poor sister's husband is an actor,
evidently a thoroughly unprincipled man. She went about with him from
one place to another for a while; then he deserted her, before the
children were old enough to know him as their father; and about a year
ago I got a letter from her, telling me that she was left in a miserable
lodging with two little children, and must starve unless somebody helped
her. I went to see her, and found her mixed up with a number of her
husband's stage acquaintances, from whom she seemed unable to free
herself. So I promised to supply her with what would keep her from want
till her husband should return to her; and got her to let me have her
two children, whom she was quite unable to feed and clothe, and who
would soon be ruined, I saw, if they were left with their poor mother as
she then was, and with such people about her as friends or
acquaintances. So I brought the children here, and have put them under
t