professed no religion, although when pressed on the point she would
not admit that it worn't there. "May be it wor," she would say, only
she had no time for it just now. She did not blame people for going
to the public-house, although she never went herself, simply because
that special place did not suit her special temperament; but she was
extremely fond of spending her evenings at the penny theatres, or other
cheap and decidedly low places of entertainment. There she would enjoy
herself, looking on with eager interest at the coarse and gaudy
representations of so-called "life." She would never laugh loudly,
however, or applaud noisily, although she encouraged and smiled at
those who did. She was very poor, but she was always neat in her person;
and the expression in her big black eyes gave her a look a little above
her station, so that, although she was not handsome, those who saw her
once often turned to glance at her again. Wherever she went, in whatever
company she found herself, she was invariably good-natured. Indeed,
although she was not in the least aware of the fact, she was a most
unselfish person. If a tired-out and hard-worked mother was seen pushing
her way to the front at Hester's favorite theatre, The Cleopatra,
Hester invariably resigned her own seat in her favor, and took the
baby and amused it while the mother looked on and laughed. For girls
and boys, particularly girls and boys who were sweethearting, she had
a strong sympathy, getting them together in a very quiet and unobtrusive
manner, and taking the keenest pleasure in promoting their happiness.
She was extremely popular with the Liverpool girls, and this popularity
was the great delight of her life. The girl who would not go near the
parson or the Sunday-school teacher, or the Sister of Mercy, would
pour out her woes or her joys into Hester's sympathetic ears--would
receive the advice Hester gave, eagerly, and as a rule, if it were
palatable or not, act upon it. No handsome young girl had the least
cause to be jealous of Hester; for although she was still comparatively