MY ALTERED HOME. 35 



saying, at such times, "I'm sure I'm always 

 at work ; I do the best I can " and the like. 

 I little thought what was coming, and all of 

 a sudden too. One evening, when I went 

 in as usual with my book at the end of the 

 month, after the squire had looked it over, 

 Jie turned full to me, and, lifting his specta- 

 cles off his nose, said : " Gardener, I wish 

 you to get another place ; I give you a 

 month's notice, and I'll give you a month's 

 pay beside ; but in a month the man I've 

 taken on will be here. You want your way 

 in every thing, and I'll have my own. If 

 you do all you can, you are always telling 

 me so; and I want a man that'll recollect 

 that I do my part too." My eyes flew open 

 like a pair of window- shutters, and I saw 

 all as clear as if I'd just come out of a wood: 

 but it was no use asking him to let me stay 

 with him ; he heard all I had to say, but 

 still the same answer, " My new man will 

 be here in a month." 



I never shall forget my walk back to the 

 cottage, nor all I felt when I told my wife 

 that I was to go, and when I looked at the 

 children as they lay asleep in their little 

 beds. I couldn't read the chapter in the 



