MY OWN GOOD MOTHER. 



become of my poor father and my two sis- 

 ters and myself if it hadn't been for her I 

 cannot tell. She was always at work ; and 

 drink as my father would, she never nagged 

 him, and often coaxed him out of the public- 

 houses, and persuaded him at times to stop 

 at home. If she could not find him when 

 he was out tippling, she always would sit 

 up for him to let him in. She brought up 

 my two sisters to house-work, and got them 

 places in good families ; and they kept them, 

 always bettering themselves when they 

 changed; and they sent home many a 

 pound to help keep a house over our par- 

 ents' heads. Masters and mistresses little 

 think how some servant-girls help their old 

 or sick parents and brothers and sisters. 

 They often say, " The girls might save if they 

 would ; but they don't believe they lay by 

 a penny." I have known a pretty many that 

 have denied themselves a good deal, and my 

 eldest sister was one of them. She would 

 not marry till my father died, though her 

 sweetheart promised to keep him. " No," 

 said she; "if there comes a family, then 

 there's nothing but the workhouse for him. 

 My sisters had me home, and gave me a 



