UNDER THE DRIP AND INTO DEBT. 37 



shopkeeper know too, and asked him to tell 

 others for me, that I was willing to do a job 

 for any body till I got another situation ; 

 and so I got jobbing-work here and there, in 

 gardens or at trees, with the farmers, and 

 other people that didn't keep regular gar- 

 deners. But no one knows how my heart 

 ached to see our little savings going, and 

 my wife wearing down with work and ill- 

 ness among the children ; for they took ill 

 about three months after I lost my place, 

 and kept so a long time ; and when one 

 died, it came so heavy to think it might be 

 all owing to our poor house and living ; and 

 I took up hard feelings against the squire, 

 for what I thought was cruel in him to dis- 

 charge me as he did ; as if he hadn't as 

 much right to choose a man as I had to 

 choose a place, or how to behave in it. I 

 think I could have done, if it hadn't been 

 for sickness, for we lived very close ; but at 

 last we had spent our little club-money, and 

 were obliged to ask a little credit. That we 

 had never done before ! and now we found 

 out what a miserable thing it is ; for when 

 the debt got a little larger, instead of less, 

 my wife told me she noticed the shopkeeper 



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