SKETCHES OF MARRIED LIFE.

CHAPTER I.

"I make a broken delivery of the business."

WINTER'S TALE.

แ WALK in! La! was it only you, Jerry, that was knocking so loud?" said Ruth to a trim, brisk little man, as he entered the wellfurnished kitchen in which she was employed at her customary work. "And so, Jerry, you have found out, at your house, that riches take to themselves wings, and fly away; and that a light purse is a heavy curse."

"And what if we have, Ruth? nobody knows whose turn may come next; and I should think you might ask a-body to sit down, before you begin to twit him of his misfortunes, or, what is worse, of his friends'; for I call Mr. Selmar my friend, especially now he is poor."

"Well, well; do sit down, Jerry, I know it is hard for empty bags to stand upright."

Jerry did not much like the application of the proverb to himself, or his master's purse; but he loved his ease, and could not resist the offer of a chair from Ruth, who had a power over him, which his philosophy had never enabled him to explain. So he seated himself, as he said, with a look of offended pride, "I did think, Ruth, that you were a more feeling person, and had better manners; but I have not eat a peck of salt yet with you."

"A peck of nonsense, Jerry; I do'nt mean any harm, you know; I am sorry enough for Mr. Selmar, but one must either laugh or cry at such things, and my notion is, it is best to laugh. I can tell you that I respect Mr. Selmar as much as I ever did, and more too, if he has behaved honorably."

"If he has behaved honorably!" repeated Jerry indignantly; "a likely story, that Mr. Selmar could behave otherwise than honorably. Why he is going to sell everything he has; give up his elegant lodgings, sell his gig, and his horses, even Robinette, his beautiful saddle-horse; and, more than all, he means to wait upon himself; for he told me this morning I must look out for a place,

because he could not afford to keep me. But, come! I'm in a great hurry; do take this note to Miss Amy; I suppose there is no answer to it, and I can't stay, either."

"Poh! Jerry, you always say that. I can tell you that he that's in a hurry, fishes in an empty pond. Here, John," she said to the footman, "carry up this billet to Miss Amy, and tell her that Jerry brought it, and that he is in no hurry at all, and will wait just as long as she pleases for an answer."

"Well, now, if that is n't funny," drawled out Jerry, half vexed and half amused.

"I

never in all my life saw such a queer woman."

"Never mind, Jerry; crooked sticks make even fires. But come, tell me all about Mr. Selmar; has he lost all ?"

"All!" groaned out Jerry.

"Do folks say any thing against him?" "Not a word; everybody knows that it was brought on by the failure of others who owed him money, and he has given up all he has, and he means to deny himself everything. Why I tell you, Ruth, he means even to part with me."

May-be that's the gain of a loss, Jerry; but that's acting like a man; now I respect

him, and if I have a chance I shall befriend him, though it's no more than he ought to do."

"But only think, Ruth, what a hard case it is for him, an only child, and his father died when he was only three years old, and left him such a heap of money; and then he was all the world to his mother: he has never known what hardship is."

"Time he did," said Ruth; "I suppose he has been a sort of fatted calf."

"No such thing; his mother was a pious woman; she taught him to read his Bible, and she kept him out of bad company, and she made all his masters come to him for fear he should get any harm at school."

"The more's the pity. I dare say he thinks he is not made of the same flesh and blood as the rest of the world."

"Oh, but I tell you, Ruth, his mother used to tell him he was, and to teach him not to think too much of himself; I have heard her myself, when I was a boy, and used to go there to do chores."

"An ounce of practice is worth a pound of preaching, Jerry-depend upon it. But, did n't you say that Mr. Selmar's saddle-horse was for sale?"