The servant appeared somewhat startled at this, but after a little delay ushered me into the parlour.  Two little boys, of four and six years of age, were playing about the room.  I joined in their sports, and soon became quite familiar with them.  Half an hour had passed away, when I inquired of the oldest boy what time he expected his mother?

“Not till late,” he answered, hesitatingly.

“Did she take the baby with her this cold day?” I asked.

“Yes, ma’am,” promptly replied the girl, who, under pretence of attending to the children, frequently came into the room.

The youngest child gazed earnestly in my face, and said, smilingly,

“Mother has not gone away, she is up stairs.  She ran away with baby when she saw you coming, and told us to say she had gone out.  I am afraid brother will take cold, for there is no fire up stairs.”

“It is no such thing,” exclaimed the girl and the eldest boy.  “She is not up stairs, ma’am, or she would see you.”

But even as they spoke the loud cries of an infant were heard, and a voice at the head of the stairs calling Jenny.

The girl obeyed, and presently returned with the child in her arms, its face, neck, and hands purple with cold.

“Poor little thing, it has got its death in that cold room,” she said.  “Mistress cannot see you, ma’am, she is sick and gone to bed.”

“This last story was probably equally false with the other, but I felt that it was useless to remain, and with feelings of deep regret for the poor children who were so early taught an entire disregard for truth, and of sorrow for the exposure to cold to which I had innocently subjected the infant, I left the house.  A few days after, I heard that the little one had died with croup.  Jenny, whom I accidentally met in the street, assured me that he took the cold which caused his death from the exposure on the afternoon of my call, as he became ill the following day.  I improved the opportunity to endeavour to impress upon the mind of the poor girl the sin of which she had been guilty, in telling a falsehood even in obedience to the commands of her mistress; and I hope that what I said may be useful to her.

“The want of honesty and promptness in the parents of my pupils often caused me great inconvenience, and I frequently found it difficult to meet my rent when it became due.  Still I have struggled through my difficulties without contracting any debts until this winter, but the sickness which has prevailed in my school has so materially lessened my income, and my family expenses have, for the same reason, been so much greater, that I fear it will be quite impossible for me to continue in my present situation.”