familiar to him.

Dark are the shadows that cross the poor man's path, and few and far
between are the glimpses of hope that come to lighten them. The Eternal
in his wisdom has ordained that such should be--but Oh! woe! woe! ten
thousand times ten thousand woes, does he deserve who oppresses where he
should relieve, who becomes the destroyer where he should have been the
comforter; and yet there exist ten thousand such who thrive and roll in
luxury, while human hearts are bursting in their agony.




CHAPTER IV.

THE POOR MAN'S HOME.


Standing a little aloof from the other cottages, as if conscious of its
poor appearance, was a shed; it could hardly be called any thing else,
for it appeared originally to have been nothing more than an out-house
belonging to another building, and such in fact it had been. The roof
was decayed in many places, and covered partly with rank moss. It was
situated in a hollow, and the marshy soil around bore evident proof that
it was subject to be overflowed in rainy weather. Four or five squalid,
ragged children, with pinched features and thin limbs, sat huddled in a
heap on the muddy ground, watching the road with anxious eyes--eyes so
bright with hunger that they seemed like those of so many rats. The
youngest--it was not two years old, cried--the elder beat it. Start not,
reader, it is human nature. The little creature hid her wizen face in