suddenly into obscurity, desertion, and dependence. A week passed,
and she began to think of her children; none of them had yet come
near her, or inquired for her. The thoughts of William and his
heartless wife caused old feelings of indignation to awaken and
burn; but when the image of Charles and Florence came up before her
mind, her eyes were ready to overflow. It was now that she
remembered, with changed emotions, the cruel manner in which she had
spurned Charles and the wife of his bosom. A sigh struggled up from
her heart, and she leaned down her face upon the table before which
she was sitting. Just at this time, a small sealed package was
handed to her. She broke it open carelessly; but its contents made
her heart bound, coming as they did just at that crisis. Under cover
was a bank-bill amounting to one thousand dollars, and this
memorandum--"It is yours."

Quickly turning to the direction, she read it over two or three
times before satisfying herself that there was no mistake. Then she
examined the writing within and without closely, in order to
ascertain, if possible, from whom the timely aid had come, but
without arriving at any certain conclusion.

This incident caused a new train of thoughts to pass through the
mind of Mrs. Linden. It brought before her, she could not tell why,
the image of her son Charles with greater distinctness than ever;
and with that came thoughts of his wife, and regret that she had
thrown her off with such cruel anger. Acute pain of mind succeeded
to this. She saw more clearly her own position in that act, and felt
deeply the wrong she had committed.

"I will write to my son at once and ask his forgiveness, and that of