"Yes, Mary Judson and Ella Campbell, too, are dead."

Mrs. Bender, who like many others, courted the favor of the wealthy,
and tried to fancy herself on intimate terms with them, no sooner
heard of Mrs. Campbell's affliction, than her own dangerous symptoms
were forgotten, and springing up she exclaimed, "Ella Campbell dead!
What'll her mother do? I must go to her right away. Hand me my double
gown there in the closet, and give me my lace cap in the lower draw,
and mind you have the tea-kettle biled agin I get back."

"But, mother," said Billy, as he prepared to obey her, "Mrs. Campbell
is rich, and there are enough who will pity her. If you go any where,
suppose you stop at Mrs. Howard's, and comfort poor Mary, who cries
all the time because she and Alice have got to go to the poor-house."

"Of course they'll go there, and they orto be thankful they've got so
good a place--Get away.--That ain't my double gown;--that's a cloak.
Don't you know a cloak from a double gown?"

"Yes, yes," said Billy, whose mind was not upon his mother's
toilet--"but," he continued, "I want to ask you, can't we,--couldn't
you take them for a few days, and perhaps something may turn up."

"William Bender," said the highly astonished lady what can you mean? A
poor sick woman like me, with one foot in the grave, take the charge
of three pauper children! I shan't do it, and you needn't think of
it."

"But, mother," persisted Billy, who could generally coax her to do as
he liked, "it's only for a few days, and they'll not be much trouble