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‘can help it.’ N o,‘ no ; we will make up our minds, Ruth,
Elite sure that you would be better off away from m9
‘min we shall be happier if we can batt
. Don’t you think we shall? ”, ‘
‘ ‘,' ‘ No, no ; Iwon’t,‘ 'l‘om'.' " But I011 can
on can’t, indeed.” . ' ‘ ‘ ‘ '
know that, yet awhile, and without tryin
-we can only get it."
‘‘ very much, when you come to know him:
JIIARTIN OH
as Mr. Pccksnifi.‘ Then she discovered, all in a moment,
that Tom's sliirt-collar was frayed at the edge ; and fly-
ing up-stairs for a needle and thread, came flying down
again with her tlilinble on, and set it right with wonder-
ful expertness ; never once sticking the needle into his
face, altliou 11 she was humming his pet tune from first
to last, and licatiug time with the fingers of lierleftliand
upon his neckcloth. , She had no sooner done this, than
off she was again; and there she stood once more, as
brisk and busy as a bee, tying that compact little chin
of hers into an equally compact little bonnet: intent on
bustling out to the butcher's, without a minute’s loss of
time : and inviting Tom to come and see the steak cut,
with his own eyes. As to Tom, ho was ready to go any-
where; so, off they trotted, arm-in-arm, as nimbly as
you please : saying to each other what a quiet street it
was to lodge in, and how very cheap, and what an airy
situation. ‘ .
To see the butcher slap the steak, before he laid it on ,
the block, and give his knife a sharpening, was to forget
breakfast instantly. It was agreeable, too-it really was
-to see him cut it off so smooth and juicy. There was
nothing savage in the act, although the knife was large
and keen ; it was a piece of art, high art; there was del-
icacy of touch, clearness of tone; skilful handling of
the subject, line shading. It was the triumph of mind
over matter; quite.‘ ' ‘ ‘ W i . -
Perhaps the greenest cabbage-leaf ever grown in a
garden was wrapped about this steak, before it was de-
livered over to Tom. - But the butcher had a sentiment
for his business, and knew how to refine upon it. VVhen
he saw Torn putting the cabbage-leaf. into his pocket
awkwardly, he begged to be allowed to do it for him ;
“ for meat,” he said, with‘ some emotion, “ must be hu-
moured, not drove." ' ' ' ' ‘Y
Back they went to the lodgings again, after they had
bought some eggs,'and flour,‘aud such small matters ;
and Toinsat gravely down‘ to write’ at one end of ‘the
parlour table, while Ruth prepared to make the pudding,
at the other end ; for there was nobody in the 1101158 13115
an oldwoman (the landlord being a mysterious SON? Of
man, who went out early in the morning, and was scarcely
ever seen) ; ’and, saving in mere household druggery,
they waited on themselves. ' ‘
“ W'hat are you writing, Tom?” inquired his Sis-801'. ‘
laying her hand upon his shoulder. . . , ,
“ Why, you see, my. dear,” said Tom, leaning back in
his chair, and looking up in her face, “ I am very anx-
ious, of course,‘ to obtain’ soniesuitable employment:
and before Hr. ‘Vestlock comes this afternoon, I think I
may 113 well prepare a little description of myself ‘and
lgyhqnalidcations; such as he could show to any friend
0 is.n , , ‘
“You had better do the same for me. T0m- “I502” s5"‘d
his sister, casting down her eyes. “ I should dearly like
to keep house for you, and take care of you always. F0111;
but we are not rich enough for that. ”g ‘ , '
“ We are ‘not rich," returned Tom. “ ce1't9-U11)’ 3 ‘ma
W0 may be much poorer. But we will not part. if W9
1131, unless we are so very unfortunate as to render 1110
' ' ' t t th 1‘. Iain cer-
im with me, we will battle it on Ogli “Gout together.
1: Thinl;"T in - V - I I ’
‘‘Oh, tut, (iiilt!”' interposed Tom, tenderly. ‘g “ 1011
Inusn t cry." ,t “ford it’ deal.’
0 How are’ We to
g ? Lord bless
quite grand-“ There
if we‘ try hard. And
upon a very little-if
“lVe don’t'know that," said T0111-
33!’ Soul l"-Tom's energy became
13 110 knowing what may happen,
am sure we can live contentedly
"Yes: th t I am sure we can, Tom." ‘ ,
“lVliy,'tli‘en."‘said Tom, “we must try for 13. M3:
friend, John‘VVestlock, is a capital renew, “,“.11ieii;
shrewd and intelligent. I'll take his advice. We 3
- . . , Y ‘H like John
It over with him-eboth of us together Olllnm certain.
UZZLEWIT.’ ' 1117
Don‘t cry, don’t cry. You make a beef-steak pudding,
indeed I ” said Tom, giving her a gentle push. “ Why,
you haven’t boldness enough for ‘a dumpling l" N
“ You will call it apudding, Tom. Mind I I told you
not I’’
“ I may as well call it that till it proves to be some.
thing else,” said Tom. “ Oh, you are going to work in
earnest, are you?” . , ' .
Aye, aye I That she was. And in such pleasant
earnest, moreover, that Tom’s'attention wandered from
his writing every moment. lhrst, she tripped down-
stairs into the kitchen for the flour, then for the pie-
board. then for the‘ eggs, then for the butter, then for a
jug of water, then for the rolling-pin, then for a pud-
ding- basin, then for the pepper,-then for the salt ; mak-
ing a separate journey for everything, and laughing
every time she started off afresh. VVhen all the mate-
rials were collected, she was horrified to‘ find she had no
apron on, and so ran up-stairs, by way of variety, to fetch
it. She didn't ut it on up-stairs, but came dancing
down with it in ier hand ; and being one of those little
women to whom an apron is a most hecoming little van-
ity, it took an immense time to arrange ; having to be
carefully smoothed down beneaths0h, heaven, what a.
wicked little stomzicher l and to be gathered up into little
plaits by the strings before it could be tied, and to be
tapped, rebuked, and wheedled, at the pockets, before it
would set right, which at last it did, and when it did-but
never mind ; this is a sober chronicle. And then, there
were culfs to be tucked up, for fear of Hour; and she
had a little rin to pull off her finger, which wouldn’t
come off (foolisi little ring‘l ) ; and during the whole of
these preparations she looked demurely every new and
then at Tom, from under her dark eyelashes as if they
were all a partvof the pudding, and indispensable to its
‘composition.
For the life and soul of him, Tom could get no fur-
ther in his writing than, “A respectable young man
aged thirty-five,” and this, notwithstanding the show
she made of being supernaturally quiet, and goin about
on tiptoe, lest she should disturb him :- whic cnly
served as an additional means of distracting his atten-
tion, and kee in it u on her. ‘
“ Tom,” sllije grid afloat, in high glee. .“ Tom I "
"VVh9,t.now,i’.said Tom, repeating to himself, “aged
thirty-five l” ‘,
“ VVill you look here a moment, lease ‘2’
As if he hadn’t been looking all t e time I
It I am going to begn, Tom. Don't you wonder why I
butter the inside of the basin? " said his busy little sister.
“Not more than you do, I dare say,” replied ‘Tom,
laughing. “ For I believe you don’t know anything
about it.” ‘ ‘ ' '
“VVliat an infidel you are, Torn? How else do you
think it would turn out easily when it was done? For a
civil engineer and land-surveyor not to know that I My
goodness, Tom 1 ” . ‘ .
It was wholly out of the question to try to write. Tom
lined out “ A respectable young man, aged thirty-five ;"
and sat looking. on, ptE)3]l1,l!l hand, with one of the most
' miles ima ina e. ,.
logiildlisa busy litizle woman as she was i ’ So full of self-
importance, and trying so hard not to smile, or seem un-
certain about an 'thing I ' It-was a perfect‘ treat to Tom
to see her with her brows knit, and her rosylips pursed
up, kneading away at the crust, rolling it out, cutting it
up into strips, lining the basin with‘it, shaving it otf
tine round the rim, chopping up the Steak into 8113811
pieces, raining down pepper and salt upon them, packing
them into the basin, pouring in cold water for gravy, and
never venturing to steal a look in his direction, lesther
gravitv should be disturbed; until, at last, the basin
being.quite full and ‘only wanting the top crust, she
clapped her hands, all covered with paste and. flour, at
Tom and burstout heartily into. such a charming little
laugh of triumph, that the pudding need have had no
other seasoning to commend it to the taste of any reason-
n earth. ' -
a'b]?‘1VI71l:i:r((i’s the pudding?" said Tom. F or he was cut-
’ ' 'okes, Tom was. -
tln‘f";i]VI’1ls1<ire‘2” she answered, holding it up with both
hands. . “ Look at it 1'’