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protect. Such were, in part, the feelings of honest Nelly Ballantyne, when she sent her three daughters to "serve the frenimit"* in Edinburgh; and they were not unjustified by the event. The youngest and the fairest" Bonnie Lizzie," as she had been called-became a waif and an outcast; while of the others only one could be considered as fortunate. This was Helen, who was married to a steady operative in the city, and became the mother of a large family, which, by economy and industry, she maintained in a creditable manner. The other daughter, Bell, was also married: but her husband proved a worthless sot, and, after having had three children, she found it absolutely necessary to separate from him, and take refuge in her mother's house. Thus, honest Nelly, after having, as she thought, got over the grand difficulty of her life, namely, the rearing of her orphan family, found herself, at an advanced age, more deeply and distressingly burdened than ever. Her son Matthew was a downdraught of the most odious kind—a monster who would coolly demand money from her, to save him from the consequences of criminal acts, which he described himself as having committed, and then go away to spend what he had thus wrung forth, in the basest indulgences, and amidst a troop of companions who were every now and then thinned by the law. On the other hand, Nelly was taxed with the entire maintenance of her daughter and grandchildren-it being impossible for the poor mother, occupied as she was with the care of three infants, to do any thing for her own or for their support. There was something not far removed from real pathos in the reflections which she occasionally indulged in respecting these circumstances. "I would think naething," she remarked one day to a friend, "of gieing Bell and her bairns a bite o' what I hae, if I could weel afford it for bluid, ye ken, is aye thicker than water, and the bairns, puir things, are fine creatures, for a' the ill fa

* Unrelated, not akin.

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ther they hae, and it's just a pleesur to me to see them totting about, crying, Grannie, do this,' and 'Grannie, gie me that,' and no an ill thocht i' their heads. But oh, woman, it's a different thing wi' Matthew and Lizzie. I used to think, when their father left them a' young upon my hands, and the youngest no born yet, that few women had ever been trysted as I was: and mony a time did they anger me wi' their childish mischief, and broken lozens, and that kind o' thing. But though they angered me then, they never vexed me, as some o' them do now. If they could a' but be made bairns again-innocent thochtless bairns, aye dirtying themselves in dubs, and greeting for pieces, and whyles gieing ane another a lick i' the lugf when they provoked ane another-I wad care little, woman, though they were twice the burden to me that they were langsyne."

*

It was soon found that the increased expenditure occasioned by these new exactions, was pressing too severely upon the resources of the honest widow; and the consequence was, her inability to pay the rent, taxes, and licence, which formed her principal channels of disbursement. That unjustly but unavoidably detested race of men, the taxgatherers, became her frequent visitors; and though pity, aided by a dram, would for a while induce them to write a decent excuse on the back of the returned receipt, and so depart in peace, this could not be effectual for ever. horrid sum-two pounds fourteen shillings and sevenpence --still remained due; and still, once every week, re-appeared the awful officer at the door, with his small black leather portfolio, and his really unassuming, but, to Nelly's perceptions, most imperious and tyrannical countenance. "Ou, mistress, ye ken it's no my blame," the poor man would say ; "I maun just do as I'm bidden.” But Nelly, though her reason assented to this proposition, always

Anglice-Crying for crusts of bread.

† A slap on the ear.

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found her feelings of quite a contrary opinion; and even while she invited the man to a civil glass of whisky, and wheedled him for yet a little more time, could not help thinking in her secret heart that he was the most atrocious villain on the face of the whole earth. "Weel, mistress," he at length told her one day, "this off-putting will do nae langer. There's five per cent. on already, and my expenses beside; and I hae nae a receipt sae scrawled on the back in my hale pocket-book. First, ye see, 'seventeenth May, says call again;' then, twenty-sixth May, has no money;' next, June second, will call in a day or two herself;' then again, ‘June ninth, has just been paying a large account for porter;' after that, ‘June fifteenth, says call again next week;' then cam on the expenses, and after a', July sixth, has not a shilling in the house.' Really, mistress, I've haen mair trouble about your taxes than ony other body's in the district; and, I assure ye, it's nae joke coming out a' this length in sic warm weather." For this time Nelly got clear of her dun at the sacrifice of a bottle of strong ale. But at length the laws of the collectorate could be stretched no farther, and a poinding or execution took place in her house, with assurance, that if the taxes should not be settled before Tuesday next, her effects should be exposed to sale.

6

The intermediate time was spent by the poor widow and her daughter in unavailing grief; and, not having a single friend in the world to take her part, or rescue her from so dreadful a calamity, she could only look forward to destitution both for herself and the helpless creatures depending on her. The terrible day came round in course, when duly appeared a band of officials to execute the threat which hung over her. A red flag was displayed at the door, which speedily had the effect of collecting the villagers; and a barrel having been placed by the side of the threshold, the auctioneer mounted aloft, and began to sell the articles of furniture, which, one after another, were brought forth from the interior. Poor Nelly and her

daughter remained within, dissolved in grief, which the efforts of a few female neighbours, however well meant. could do little to control. The children moved about as usual; and it was curious, amidst one of the most distressing scenes that can be witnessed, to hear their unconcerned prattle, which ever and anon was mingled with the coarse declamations of the auctioneer without, and the heartbursting sorrow of the party within. Once, only once, could Nelly venture to peep abroad upon the proceedings out of doors; she saw her cradle raised aloft for sale-the ancient and familiar cradle in which she had been herself rocked, which had nursed her own family, and was now or lately employed for her daughter's youngest child-and she shrunk back as if she had received a blow, and again buried her face in her lap by the fireside. In time, the dreadful scene was finished; and she was left in her desolate cottage, with only one or two stools, and other little articles, which had been judged too trifling to be put up for sale. The coarse officials departed with the proceeds of their severity, leaving ruin and misery where there had formerly been humble content and cheerfulness.

For some time after this calamity, Nelly and her daughter took up their abode with a poor neighbour, and endeavoured to obtain a slender support by acting as washerwomen. They were also indebted, in some small measure, to the kindness of that daughter who has already been alluded to, as the only one whose lot proved in the least enviable. In the declining strength, however, of the old widow, and the duty of attending to so many children, which pressed upon her daughter Bell, all such means of support would have soon proved ineffectual, and the whole family would have speedily become objects of public charity, if it had not been for the providential re-appearance of Nelly's longlost son James. This young man had at the first proved so unsuccessful in his object, that he could not prevail upon himself to write about his affairs to his mother. At length, however, he had become settled in an excellent

farm in the London district, in Upper Canada; and having heard of the unfortunate circumstances of his mother and sister, he had resolved to pay them a personal visit, and, if possible, prevail with them to accompany him to America. It would be vain to describe the joy with which Nelly hailed the appearance of her son, or the surprise she expressed at his improved circumstances. She very characteristically made no objection to undertaking so long a voyage at her advanced time of life, but only remarked, that "the bairns couldna steer a step till they got new sarks." All such difficulties, it may be imagined, were soon got over, and in a few weeks this persecuted little family found a safe retreat on the other side of the Atlantic. According to the last accounts, they were all living in a comfortable and happy manner, and Bell's family was beginning to be of no little service to their uncle. Nelly hardly liked the country at first, but soon became reconciled to it one grand consideration moving her thereto, being (as she herself expressed it) that "there was nae fear here o' being roupit out for taxes!"

A SKELETON IN EVERY HOUSE.

WHEN suffering under the pressure of our own distresses, whether they be of regular continuance, or have come upon us of a sudden, we are apt to imagine that no individual in the surrounding world is so unfortunate as we, or, perhaps, that we stand altogether by ourselves in calamity, or, at the most, belong to a small body of unfortunates, forming an exception from all the rest of mankind. We look to a neighbour, and, seeing that he is not afflicted by any open or palpable grievance, and makes no complaint of any which are hidden from our eyes, we conclude that he is a man entirely fortunate and thoroughly happy, while we are never free from trouble of one kind or another, and, in fact,

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