162 PEARLS AND PEBBLES. 



Yet, though very miserable at times, she clung with 

 passionate affection to her husband. With womanly- 

 devotion she made all sorts of excuses for him ; she 

 would not, coulcl not, believe that he had willingly 

 deceived her or had married her from interested motives. 

 This love, as it grew stronger, upheld her in the sad 

 reality of utter ruin, for truly misfortune like an armed 

 force came soon upon them, and every fair and flattering 

 prospect vanished. Unable to command the money to 

 meet the claims of importunate creditors, or to satisfy the 

 workmen clamoring at his door daily for their wages, 

 her husband was obliged to give up under a sheriffs war- 

 rant all the property he possessed, and to find himself a 

 prisoner in his own house. Only on Sundays was he 

 free. to go abroad. No entreaties availed to obtain any 

 portion of the principal of his wife's property, and it 

 was fortunate for them that it was so vested in the 

 hands of trustees as to be beyond the reach of any claim 

 from the creditors, as the interest on it alone kept the 

 unfortunate debtors from starvation. 



With these trials and privations came a courage and 

 strength of mind to do and to bear. The young wife 

 had no former experience of hardships, but when 

 encountered she bore them bravely. She was now a 

 , mother, and the unwonted cares • of maternity were 

 added to other arduous duties. She often lamented 

 over her want of knowledge in the management of her 

 baby ; she had never been accustomed to see young 



