theworld；aye，anddon’tknowwheret’getanotherwhenthatrag’sdone，thoughthey’returningoutmileso’calicoeveryday；andmanyamileo’tislyinginwarehouses，stoppinguptradeforwanto’purchasers。Yetakemyadvice，JohnBarton，andaskParliamenttosettradefree，soasworkmencanearnadecentwage，andbuytheirtwo，ayeandthree，shirtsa-year；
　　thatwouldmakeweavingbrisk。“Heputhispipeinhismouthagain，andredoubledhispuffing，tomakeupforlosttime。“I’mafeard，neighbours，“saidJohnBarton，“I’venotmuchchanceo’telling’emallyosay；whatIthinkon，isjustspeakingoutaboutthedistressthattheysayisnought。Whentheyhearo’childrenbornonwetflags，withoutaragt’cover’emorabito’foodforth’mother；whentheybearoffolklyingdowntodiei’th’streets，orhidingtheirwanti’someholeo’acellartilldeathcometoset’emfree；andwhentheyhearo’
　　allthisplague，pestilence，andfamine，they’llsurelydosomewhatwiserforusthanwecanguessatnow。Howe’er，Ihannoobjection，ifsobethere’sanopening，tospeakupforwhatyosay；anyhow，I’lldomybest，andyoseenow，ifbettertimesdon’tcomeafterParliamentknowsall。“Someshooktheirheads，butmorelookedcheery：andthenonebyonedroppedoff，leavingJohnandhisdaughteralone。“DidstthoumarkbowpoorlyJaneWilsonlooked？“askedhe，astheywounduptheirhardday’sworkbyasuppereatenoverthefire，whichglowedandglimmeredthroughtheroom，andformedtheironlylight。“No，Ican’tsayasIdid。Butshe’sneverrightlyheldupherheadsincethetwinsdied；andallalongshehasneverbeenastrongwoman。“Neversin’heraccident。AforethatImindherlookingasfreshandlikelyagirlase’eraoneinManchester。““Whataccident，father？““Shecotchedhersideagainawheel。Itwereaforewheelswereboxedup。
　　Itwerejustwhensheweretohavebeenmarried，andmanyaonethoughtGeorgewouldha’beenoffhisbargain；butIknewhewern’tthechapforthattrick。Prettynearthefirstplaceshewenttowhenshewereabletogoaboutagain，wasth’OudChurch；poorwench，allpaleandlimpingshewentuptheaisle，Georgeholdingherupastenderasamother，andwalkingasslowase’erhecould，nottohurryher，thoughtherewereplentyenowofrudeladstocasttheirjestsathimandher。Herfacewerewhitelikeasheetwhenshecameinchurch，butaforeshegottoth’altarshewerealloneflush。Butfora’thatit’sbeenahappymarriage，andGeorgehasstuckbymethroughlifelikeabrother。He’llneverholduphisheadagainifhelosesJane。Ididn’tlikeherlookstonight。“Andsohewenttobed，thefearofforthcomingsorrowtohisfriendminglingwithhisthoughtsofto-morrow，andhishopesforthefuture。Marywatchedhimsetoff，withherhandsoverhereyestoshadethemfromthebrightslantingraysofthemorningsun，andthensheturnedintothehousetoarrangeitsdisorderbeforegoingtoherwork。Shewonderedifsheshouldlikeordisliketheeveningandmorningsolitude；forseveralhourswhentheclockstruckshethoughtofherfather，andwonderedwherehewas；
　　shemadegoodresolutionsaccordingtoherlights；andby-and-bycamethedistractionsandeventsofthebroadfulldaytooccupyherwiththepresent，andtodeadenthememoryoftheabsent。OneofMary’sresolutionswas，thatshewouldnotbepersuadedorinducedtoseeMrHarryCarsonduringherfather’sabsence。Therewassomethingcrookedinherconscienceafterall；forthisveryresolutionseemedanacknowledgmentthatitwaswrongtomeethimatanytime；andyetshehadbroughtherselftothinkherconductquiteinnocentandproper，foralthoughunknowntoherfather，andcertain，evendidheknowit，tofailofobtaininghissanction，sheesteemedherlove-meetingswithMrCarsonassuretoendinherfather’sgoodandhappiness。Butnowthathewasaway，shewoulddonothingthathewoulddisapproveof；no，noteventhoughitwasforhisowngoodintheend。Now，amongstMissSimmonds’youngladieswasonewhohadbeenfromthebeginningaconfidanteinMary’sloveaffair，madesobyMrCarsonhimself。
　　Hehadfeltthenecessityofsomethirdpersontocarrylettersandmessages，andtopleadhiscausewhenhewasabsent。InagirlnamedSallyLeadbitterhehadfoundawillingadvocate。Shewouldhavebeenwillingtohaveembarkedinalove-affairherselfespeciallyaclandestineone，forthemereexcitementoftheg；butherwillingnesswasstrengthenedbysundryhalf-sovereigns，whichfromtimetotimeMrCarsonbestoweduponher。SallyLeadbitterwasvulgar-mindedtothelastdegree；nevereasyunlesshertalkwasofloveandlovers；inhereyesitwasanhonourtohavehadalonglistofwooers。Soconstituted，itwasapitythatSallyherselfwasbutaplain，red-haired，freckledgirl；neverlikely，onewouldhavethought，tobecomeaheroineonherownaccount。Butwhatshelackedinbeautyshetriedtomakeupforbyakindofwittyboldness，whichgaveherwhatherbetterswouldhavecalledpiquancy。Considerationsofmodestyorproprietynevercheckedherutteranceofagoodthing。Shehadjusttalentenoughtocorruptothers。Herverygood-naturewasanevilinfluence。
　　Theycouldnothateonewhowassokind；theycouldnotavoidonewhowassowillingtoshieldthemfromscrapesbyanyexertionofherown；whosereadyfingerswouldatanytimemakeupfortheirdeficiencies，andwhosestillmoreconvenienttonguewouldatanytimeinventforthem。TheJews，orMohammedansIforgetwhich，believethatthereisonelittleboneofourbody，——oneofthevertebrae，ifIrememberrightly，——whichwillneverdecayandturntodust，butwilllieincorruptandindestructibleinthegrounduntiltheLastDay：thisistheSeedoftheSoul。ThemostdepravedhavealsotheirSeedoftheHolinessthatshallonedayovercometheirevil。Theironegoodquality，lurkinghidden，butsafe，amongallthecorruptandhad。Sally’sseedofthefuturesoulwasherloveforhermother，anagedbedriddenwoman。Forhershehadself-denial；forher，hergood-natureroseintotenderness；tocheerherlonelybed，herspirits，intheevenings，whenherbodywasoftenwofullytired，neverflagged，butwerereadytorecounttheeventsoftheday，toturnthemintoridicule，andtomimic，withadmirablefidelity，anypersongiftedwithanabsurditywhohadfallenunderherkeeneye。ButthemotherwaslightlyprincipledlikeSallyherself；norwasthereneedtoconcealfromherthereasonwhyMrCarsongavehersomuchmoney。Shechuckledwithpleasure，andonlyhopedthatthewooingwouldbelonga-doing。Stillneithershe，norherdaughter，norHarryCarsonlikedthisresolutionofMary，nottoseehimduringherfather’sabsence。Oneeveningandtheearlysummereveningswerelongandbrightnow，SallymetMrCarsonbyappointment，tobechargedwithaletterforMary，imploringhertoseehim，whichSallywastobackwithallherpowersofpersuasion。
　　Afterpartingfromhimshedetermined，asitwasnotsoverylate，togoatoncetoMary’s，anddeliverthemessageandletter。ShefoundMaryingreatsorrow。ShehadjustheardofGeorgeWilson’ssuddendeath：heroldfriend，herfather’sfriend，Jem’sfather——allhisclaimscamerushinguponher。Thoughnotguardedfromunnecessarysightorsoundofdeath，asthechildrenoftherichare，yetithadsooftenbeenbroughthometoherthislastthreeorfourmonths。Itwassoterriblethustoseefriendafterfrienddepart。Herfather，too，whohaddreadedJaneWilson’sdeaththeeveningbeforehesetoff。Andshe，theweakly，wasleftbehind，whilethestrongmanwastaken。Atanyratethesorrowherfatherhadsofearedforhimwasspared。Suchwerethethoughtswhichcameoverher。Shecouldnotgotocomfortthebereaved，evenifcomfortwereinherpowertogive；forshehadresolvedtoavoidJem；andshefeltthatthisofallotherswasnottheoccasiononwhichshecouldkeepupastudiouslycoldmanner。Andinthisshockofgrief，SallyLeadbitterwasthelastpersonshewishedtosee。However，sherosetowelcomeher，betrayinghertear-swollenface。“Well，IshalltellMrCarsonto-morrowhowyou’refrettingforhim；it’snomorenorhe’sdoingforyou，Icantellyou。““Forhim，indeed!“saidMary，withatossofherprettyhead。“Aye，miss，forhim!You’vebeensighingasifyourheartwouldbreaknowforseveraldays，overyourwork；now，arn’tyoualittlegoosenottogoandseeonewhoIamsurelovesyouashislife，andwhomyoulove；
　　’Howmuch，Mary？’’Thismuch，’asthechildrensay“openingherarmsverywide。“Nonsense，“saidMarypouting；“IoftenthinkIdon’tlovehimatall。““AndI’mtotellhimthat，amI，nexttimeIseehim？“askedSally。“Ifyoulike，“repliedMary。“I’msureIdon’tcareforthatoranythingelsenow；“weepingafresh。ButSallydidnotliketobethebearerofanysuchnews。Shesawshehadgoneonthewrongtack，andthatMary’sheartwastoofulltovalueeithermessageorletterassheought。Soshewiselypausedintheirdelivery，andsaid，inamoresympathetictonethanshehadhithertoused。“Dotellme，Mary，what’sfrettingyouso？YouknowInevercouldabidetoseeyoucry。“GeorgeWilson’sdroppeddowndeadthisafternoon，“saidMary，fixinghereyesforoneminuteonSally，andthenexthidingherfaceinherapronasshesobbedanew。“Dear，dear!Allfleshisgrass；hereto-dayandgoneto-morrow，astheBiblesays。Stillhewasanoldman，andnotgoodformuch；there’sbetterfolkthanhimleftbehind。Isth’cantingoldmaidasWashissisteraliveyet？““Idon’tknowwhoyoumean，“saidMary，sharply；forshedidknow，anddidnotliketohaveherdear，simpleAlicesospokenof。“Come，Mary，don’tbesoinnocent。IsMissAliceWilsonalive，then；willthatpleaseyou？Ihaven’tseenherhereaboutslately。““No，she’sleftlivinghere。Whenthetwinsdied，shethoughtshecould，maybe，beofusetohersister，whowassadlycastdown，andAlicethoughtshecouldcheerherup；atanyrateshecouldlistentoherwhenherheartgrewoverburdened；soshegaveuphercellarandwenttolivewiththem。““Well，goodgowithher。I’dnofancyforher，andI’dnofancyforhermakingmyprettyMaryintoaMethodee。““Shewasn’taMethodeeshewasChurcho’England。““Well，well，Mary，you’reveryparticular。YouknowwhatImeant。Look，whoisthisletterfrom？holdingupHenryCarson’sletter。“Idon’tknow，anddon’tcare，“saidMary，turningveryred。“Myeye!asifIdidn’tknowyoudidknowanddidcare。““Well，giveitme，“saidMary，impatiently，andanxiousinherpresentmoodforhervisitor’sdeparture。Sallyrelinquisheditunwillingly。Shehad，however，thepleasureofseeingMarydimpleandblushasshereadtheletter，whichseemedtosaythewriterwasnotindifferenttoher。“YoumusttellhimIcan’tcome，“saidMary，raisinghereyesatlast。
　　“IhavesaidIwon’tmeethimwhilefatherisaway，andIwon’t。““But，Mary，hedoessolookforyou。You’dbequitesorryforhim，he’ssoputoutaboutnotseeingyou。Besides，yougowhenyourfather’sathome，withoutlettingontohim，andwhatharmwouldtherebeingoingnow？““Well，Sally，youknowmyanswer，Iwon’t；andIwon’t。““I’lltellhimtocomeandseeyouhimselfsomeevening，insteado’sendingme；he’dmaybefindyounotsohardtodealwith。“Maryflashedup。“Ifhedarestocomeherewhilefather’saway，I’llcalltheneighboursintoturnhimout，sodon’tbeputtinghimuptothat。““Mercyonus!onewouldthinkyouwerethefirstgirlthateverhadalover；
　　haveyouneverheardwhatothergirlsdoandthinknoshameof？““Hush，Sally!that’sMargaretJenningsatthedoor。“AndinaninstantMargaretwasintheroom。MaryhadbeggedJobLeghtolethercomeandsleepwithher。Intheuncertainfire-lightyoucouldnothelpnoticingthatshehadthegropingwalkofablindperson。“Well，Imustgo，Mary，“saidSally。“Andthat’syourlastword？““Yes，yes；goodnight，“Sheshutthedoorgladlyonherunwelcomevisitor——unwelcomeatthattimeatleast。“Oh，Margaret，haveyeheardthissadnewsaboutGeorgeWilson？““Yes，thatIhave。Poorcreatures，they’vebeensoretriedlately。NotthatIthinksuddendeathsobadathing；it’seasy，andthere’snoterrorsforhimasdies。Forthemassurvivesit’sveryhard。PoorGeorge!heweresuchahearty-lookingman。““Margaret，“saidMarywhohadbeencloselyobservingherfriend，“thou’rtveryblindto-night，arn’tthou？Isitwi’crying？Youreyesaresoswollenandred。““Yes，dear!butnotcryingforsorrow。HanyebeardwhereIwaslastnight？““No；where？““Lookhere。“Sheheldupabrightgoldensovereign。Maryopenedherlargegreyeyeswithastonishment。“I’lltellyouallhowandaboutit。Youseethere’sagentlemanlecturingonmusicatth’Mechanics’，andhewantsfolktosinghissongs。