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What Five Dollars Paid
by
And now let us follow Mrs. Lee. On her arrival at home empty-handed, from her visit to the shoemaker, who owed her two dollars for work, she found a young girl, in whose pale face were many marks of suffering and care, awaiting her return.
The girl’s countenance brightened as she came in; but there was no answering brightness in the countenance of Mrs. Lee, who immediately said–
“I’m very sorry, Harriet, but Mr. Grant put me off until to-morrow. He said he hadn’t a dollar in the house.”
The girl’s disappointment was very great, for the smile she had forced into life instantly faded, and was succeeded by a look of deep distress.
“Do you want the money very badly?” asked Mrs. Lee, in a low, half-choked voice, for the sudden change in the girl’s manner had affected her.
“Oh, yes, ma’am, very badly. I left Mary wrapped up in my thick shawl, and a blanket wound all around her feet to keep them warm; but she was coughing dreadfully from the cold air of the room.”
“Haven’t you a fire?” asked Mrs. Lee, in a quick, surprised tone.
“We have no coal. It was to buy coal that I wanted the money.”
Mrs. Lee struck her hands together, and an expression of pain was about passing her lips, when the door of the room opened, and the shoemaker’s boy came in.
“Here are two dollars. Mr. Grant sent them.”
“God bless Mr. Grant!” The exclamation from Mrs. Lee was involuntary.
On the part of Harriet, to whom one dollar was due, a gush of silent tears marked the effect this timely supply of money produced. She received her portion, and, without trusting her voice with words, hurried away to supply the pressing want at home.
A few doors from the residence of Mrs. Lee lived a man who, some months before, had become involved in trouble with an evil-disposed person, and been forced to defend himself by means of the law. He had employed Mr. Herriot to do what was requisite in the case, for which service the charge was five dollars. The bill had been rendered a few days before, and the man, who was poor, felt very anxious to pay it. He had the money all made up to within a dollar. That dollar Mrs. Lee owed him, and she had promised to give it to him during this day. For hours he had waited, expecting her to come in; but now had nearly given her up. There was another little bill of three dollars which had been sent in to him, and he had just concluded to go and pay that, when Mrs. Lee called with the balance of the money, one dollar, which she had received from the shoemaker, Grant.
Half an hour later, and the pocket-book of Mr. Herriot was no longer empty. His client had called and paid his bill. The five dollars had come back to him.