The poor man was now shown his place in the shop, and once again he resumed his work, though under a far different impulse than had, for years, nerved him to action.

Two hours brought his regular dinner-time, when Jarvis, who began to feel the want of food, returned home, with new and strange feelings about his heart.  One impulse was to tell his wife what he had done, and what he was doing.  But then he remembered how often he had mocked her new springing hopes—­how often he had promised amendment, and once even joined a temperance society, only to relapse into a lower and more degraded condition.

“No, no,” he said to himself, after debating the question in his mind, as he walked towards home; “I will not tell her now.  I will first present some fruit of my repentance.  I will give such an assurance as will create confidence and hope.”

Mrs. Jarvis did not raise her eyes to the face of her husband, as he entered.  The sight of that once loved countenance, distorted and disfigured, ever made her heart sick when she looked upon it.  Jarvis seated himself quietly in a chair, and held out his hands for his youngest child, not over two years old, who had no consciousness of his father’s degradation.  In a moment the happy little creature was on his knee.  But the other children showed no inclination to approach.

The frugal meal passed in silence and restraint.  Mrs. Jarvis felt troubled and oppressed—­for the prospect before her seemed to grow more and more gloomy.  All the morning she had suffered from a steady pain in her breast, and from a lassitude that she could not overcome.  Her pale, thin, care-worn face, told a sad tale of suffering, privation, confinement, and want of exercise.  What was to become of her children she knew not.  Under such feelings of hopelessness, to have one sitting by her side, who could take much of her burdens from her, were he but to will it—­who could call back the light to her heart, if only true to his promise, made in earlier and happier years—­soured in some degree her feelings, and obscured her perceptions.  She did not note that some change had passed upon him; a change that if marked, would have caused her heart to leap in her bosom.

As soon as Jarvis had risen from the table, he took his hat, and kissing his youngest child, the only one there who seemed to regard him, passed quickly from the house.  As the door closed after him, his wife heaved a long sigh, and then rising, mechanically, proceeded to clear up the table.  Of how many crushed affections and disappointed hopes, did that one deep, tremulous sigh, speak!