you don\"t like struggling and fighting as your father does, do you?\"

\"no!\" said she, heāvily. \"i\"m sick on it. i could hāve wished to hāve hadother talk about me in my latter days, than just the clashing andclanging and clattering that has wearied a\" my life long, about work andwages, and masters, and hands, and knobsticks.\"

\"poor wench! latter days be farred! thou\"rt looking a sight better alreadyfor a little stir and change. beside, i shall be a deal here to make it morelively for thee.\"

\"tobacco-smoke chokes me!\" said she, querulously.

\"then i\"ll never smoke no more i\" th\" house!\" he replied, tenderly. \"but

why didst thou not tell me afore, thou foolish wench?\"

she did not speak for a while, and then so low that only margaret heardher:

\"i reckon, he\"ll want a\" the fort he can get out o\" either pipe or drinkafore he\"s done.\"

her father went out of doors, evidently to finish his pipe.

bessy said passionately,\"now am not i a fool,--am i not, miss?--there, i knew i ought for tokeep father at home, and away fro\" the folk that are always ready for totempt a man, in time o\" strike, to go drink,--and there my tongue mustneeds quarrel with this pipe o\" his\"n,--and he\"ll go off, i know he will,-asoften as he wants to smoke--and nobody knows where it\"ll end. iwish i\"d letten myself be choked first.\"

\"but does your father drink?\" asked margaret.

\"no--not to say drink,\" replied she, still in the same wild excited tone.

..**t**

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