"Ha! I suppose you call that a joke--one of your club jokes? I wish you'd think a little more of people's feelings, and less of your jokes. As I say, I only wish I'd any money of my own. If there is anything that humbles a poor woman, it is coming to a man's pocket for every farthing. It's dreadful! "Now, Caudle, if ever you kept awake, you shall keep awake to-night-- yes, you shall hear me, for it isn't often I speak, and then you may go to sleep as soon as you like. Pray do you know what month it is? And did you see how the children looked at church to-day--like nobody else's children? "WHAT WAS THE MATTER WITH THEM? "Oh, Caudle! How can you ask? Poor things! weren't they all in their thick merinos and beaver bonnets? What do you say? - "WHAT OF IT? "What! you'll tell me that you didn't see how the Briggs's girls, in their new chips, turned their noses up at 'em? And you didn't see how the Browns looked at the Smiths, and then at our dear girls, as much as to say, 'Poor creatures! what figures for the month of May!' "YOU DIDN'T SEE IT? "The more shame for you--you would, if you'd had the feelings of a parent--but I'm sorry to say, Caudle, you haven't. I'm sure those Briggs's girls--the little minxes!--put me into such a pucker, I could have pulled their ears for 'em over the pew. What do you say? "I OUGHT TO BE ASHAMED OF MYSELF TO OWN IT? "No, Mr. Caudle; the shame lies with you, that don't let your children appear at church like other people's children, that make 'em uncomfortable at their devotions, poor things! for how can it be otherwise, when they see themselves dressed like nobody else? "Now, Caudle, it's no use talking; those children shall not cross the threshold next Sunday, if they haven't things for the summer. Now mind--they sha'n't; and there's an end of it. I won't have 'em exposed to the Briggs's and the Browns again: no, they shall know they have a mother, if they've no father to feel for 'em. What do you say, Caudle? "A GOOD DEAL I MUST THINK OF CHURCH, IF I THINK SO MUCH OF WHAT WE GO IN? "I only wish you thought as much as I do, you'd be a better man than you are, Caudle, I can tell you; but that's nothing to do with it. I'm talking about decent clothes for the children for the summer, and you want to put me off with something about the church; but that's so like you, Caudle! "I'M ALWAYS WANTING MONEY FOR CLOTHES? "How can you lie in your bed and say that? I'm sure there's no children in the world that cost their father so little: but that's it; the less a poor woman does upon, the less she may. It's the wives who don't care where the money comes from who're best thought of. Oh, if my time was to come over again, would I mend and stitch, and make the things go so far as I have done? No--that I wouldn't. Yes, it's very well for you to lie there and laugh; it's easy to laugh, Caudle--very easy, to people who don't feel.