When Augusta left Meeson's she was in a very sad condition of mind, to
explain which it will be necessary to say a word or two about that young
lady's previous history. Her father had been a clergyman, and, like most
clergymen, not overburdened with the good things of this world. When Mr.
Smithers--or, rather, the Rev. James Smithers--had died, he left behind
him a widow and two children--Augusta, aged fourteen, and Jeannie, aged
two. There had been two others, both boys, who had come into the world
between Augusta and Jeannie, but they had both preceded their father to
the land of shadows. Mrs. Smithers, had, fortunately for herself, a life
interest in a sum of £7000, which, being well invested, brought her in
£350 a year: and, in order to turn this little income to the best
possible account and give her two girls the best educational
opportunities possible under the circumstances, she, on her husband's
death, moved from the village where he had for many years been curate,
into the city of Birmingham. Here she lived in absolute retirement for
some seven years and then suddenly died, leaving the two girls, then
respectively nineteen and eight years of age, to mourn her loss, and,
friendless as they were, to fight their way in the hard world.

Mrs. Smithers had been a saving woman, and, on her death, it was found
that, after paying all debts, there remained a sum of £600 for the two
girls to live on, and nothing else; for their mother's fortune died with
her. Now, it will be obvious that the interest arising from six hundred
pounds is not sufficient to support two young people, and therefore
Augusta was forced to live upon the principal. From an early age,
however, she (Augusta) had shown a strong literary tendency, and shortly
after her mother's death she published her first book at her own expense.
It was a dead failure and cost her fifty-two pounds, the balance between