her for some time, and I resolved that I would visit her the next day.

It was not until late in the evening that I could spare time to call
upon her, and, what was not usual, I went empty-handed. I found to my
surprise that the door was shut to, and the shutters of the shop not
taken down. I tried the latch, the door opened, and I went in.

"Who's there?" screamed old Nanny from the inner room. "What do you
want?"

"It's only Poor Jack, mother," replied I, "come to see how you are."

"Come in," replied she; "I'm very bad. Oh! oh! I thought it was some
thief or another come to steal all the things in my shop."

I entered the room and found old Nanny in bed; she looked very ill and
miserable, and everything was very dirty.

"Are you not well, mother?" said I.

"Well, boy? No, very ill, very ill indeed, haven't left my bed these
three days. Reach me a little water, Jack, there's a good boy. I've been
dying for water."

I handed her a broken jug which had some water in it. She drank
greedily, so as to spill nearly half of it on the coverlid.

"Oh, how good it is!" exclaimed the old woman, as soon as she recovered
her breath. "I'm better now. I could not reach it myself. I've the
rheumatiz so bad! I've been in such a fright because I could not lock