Then Mrs. Ashford went into the pantry, and returning with two large oranges and some Albert biscuit, asked, "Can you carry these also?" Mrs. Scott was full of thanks, and said she knew such nice things would do Jennie a world of good. "I can make enough to keep her warm in winter and get her plain vittles, but it isn't at all what she ought to have now, I know," she said sorrowfully. Mrs. Ashford asked what was the matter with Jennie and how long she had been ill. Mrs. Scott replied that she had hurt her back more than a year ago; and though she had been "doctored" then and appeared to get a little better, since they moved to their present abode--for they came from a distant town--she had become worse and was now not able to walk at all, but was obliged to lie in bed, sometimes suffering much pain. "How was she hurt?" Mrs. Ashford inquired. "She fell down the stair," was all the reply given, but Katie said afterward that she had heard that Jennie was thrown or pushed down stairs by her drunken father. She said poor Mrs. Scott had had a very hard life with this shiftless, drunken husband, who abused her and the children. All the children were dead now except Jennie, who was about a year older than Marty, and early in the winter "old Scott," as Katie called him, died himself from the effects of a hurt received in a fight while "on a spree." As Mrs. Scott had been ill part of the winter and unable to work much, she had got behind with her rent, and altogether had been having a very hard time. Marty was very much interested in what Mrs. Scott said, and asked a question or two on her own account. "Who stays with your little girl when you are away?" "Bless your sweet eyes! nobody stays with her. She just lies there her lone self, unless some of the other children in the house run in and out, but mostly she doesn't want their noise." "How long has she been in bed?" "Most of the time for eight months, miss," replied the poor mother with a sigh. "Doesn't she ever sit up in the rocking-chair?" "We have no rocking-chair, but sometimes when I go home from work, or the days I have no work, I hold her in my arms a bit to rest her." "Has she got anything to amuse her?" "Yes, she has a picture-book I got her last Christmas." "Mamma!" exclaimed Marty, as soon as the door closed behind Mrs. Scott, "just think of lying in bed since Christmas, and now it's the first of May, with nothing but _one_ picture-book!" "Ah! Marty," said her mother, "there are many people in the world who have very hard times." "Well, I don't know them all, and I couldn't help them all if I did; but I feel that I know Jennie real well, and mayn't I give her some of my books and playthings? a whole lot, so that she wont be so lonesome when her mother's away." "I was thinking of going to see her soon, and if you wish you may go too and carry her a picture-book or something of the sort."