when she sat down to do the honors of her table. Again Uncle Hiram
noticed that constantly her eyes wandered from the table to a door
which entered the next room, which was partially opened. Her ear
seemed strained to catch every sound. At length a little, feeble wail
told the cause of her anxiety.

"Will you excuse me a moment, uncle?" she asked, and continued: "Our
babe was quite sick all night, and I feel anxious about her."

A moment or so after Nellie withdrew, the servant came in, bringing a
fresh supply of hot rolls. Then Uncle Hiram had a chance of seeing the
help Nellie had with her many duties--a half-grown girl.

"Inexperienced, truly, inefficient and insufficient," said the kind
old man to himself; and he made a note of that on the tablets of his
heart.

Soon Nellie came back, looking much relieved, and said, smiling:

"She seems much better this morning. How these little ones fill our
heart with anxiety! I was up with her all night!"

Down went another note on Uncle Hiram's tablets. Awake all night with
a sick baby, and up cooking breakfast in the morning! No wonder her
youth and beauty have been chased away, poor, weary, over-worked
mother!

"Who lives next door, Charley?" asked his uncle, after they had
withdrawn from the breakfast-room.