. Family secrets; or, Hints to those who would make home happy. omeformer one being displaced, and converted to her ownuse, that she felt glad she had not, according to her firstintention, purposely left her money at home for thatmorning. With the dearly-bought treasure, then, they proceededin search of the street to which Maria had directedthem, and which, but for their ignorance of London, theywould scarcely have had the resolution to enter. Thehouse, too, was so little inviting, that they retreated fromthe door to look for some other No. 3, before they hadthe courage to knock. They did knoc
. Family secrets; or, Hints to those who would make home happy. omeformer one being displaced, and converted to her ownuse, that she felt glad she had not, according to her firstintention, purposely left her money at home for thatmorning. With the dearly-bought treasure, then, they proceededin search of the street to which Maria had directedthem, and which, but for their ignorance of London, theywould scarcely have had the resolution to enter. Thehouse, too, was so little inviting, that they retreated fromthe door to look for some other No. 3, before they hadthe courage to knock. They did knock, however, atlast, and it seemed to them, as the sound jarred upon theirears, that every inhabitant of that wretched street waslooking upon them. A little dirty girl came to the door,and when they told her they wanted the dressmaker wholived on the third story, she tripped up stairs before them,evidently proud of pointing out the way to such illus-trious guests. The door of the third story was closed, and theyknocked twice before a female voice answered from. ^ *™^^&-§ -. si THE FAVOURITE CHILD. 269 within, Come in. They did so, and a scene presenteditself which might have driven from a harder heartthan Isabels all satisfaction in having purchased anunnecessary dress. The miserable occupant of that darkchamber—the cheap dressmaker, whose daily and oftennightly labour supplied her only means of subsistence,had been ill for three weeks ; so ill, that bundles of work,untouched, lay heaped upon a table by the small window,which looked out upon an interminable range of blackchimneys and tiles. She sat in a low chair, evidently toofeeble to rise, beside a fire-place which contained only afew cinders. Her bed, if such it might be called, was indisorder, for she had no strength to make it; and therewere traces of recent tumult and confusion in the room,which her helpless situation was altogether insufficient toaccount for. On discovering who were her visitors, adeep crimson sprea
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