of his eight children. The little baby was kindly provided for by a relative; two of the boys were sent as errand-boys into the neighbouring town; Emily, the oldest girl, was to take charge of the house; and Lucy, the youngest but one, was put apprentice to a travelling showman, to learn to walk and dance on the tight-rope. Poor Lucy was but five years of age when she left her home. The people she lived with were very kind to her, and treated her as their own child.

The showman took great pains to teach Lucy, and as she was a quick, teachable little thing, she soon made great progress. Her master was delighted, because he saw in her cleverness the prospect of great gain. About a year after leaving her home, Lucy made her first appearance in public, and so successful was her performance that arrangements were made for taking the largest public building in the town. where they were then staying.

Here, night after night for a month, Lucy performed to crowded audiences. When the profits were calculated, it was found that her master was a richer man than he had ever been before, although he had led this kind of life for more than twenty years. In fact, he had now so much money that he decided to change his mode of living entirely. The old caravan in which they had been living was sold, with all its broken-down furniture. The man and his wife and Lucy went into respectable lodgings, which they changed, of course, as they travelled from town to town.

Things went on like this for several years, until one sad night in December about thirty years ago. By this time the family (for they con

sidered Lucy as their daughter) was in good circumstances, and had settled down permanently in London. One evening towards the close of the year the showman had said, 'Lucy, my dear, I am going to propose something to you to-night which I hope you will approve. It is now fifteen years since you came to live with us, and, thanks to your efforts and skill, we have now saved up enough money to retire into private life. Very few in our profession have had such a successful run as we have had. I now propose that we shall give up our business entirely at the end of the present year, and go down to your native village to live for the rest of our days. And,' said he, 'as you have been the principal means of obtaining the money, I also propose that whatever profits we receive between now and the end of the year shall be yours.'

This was good news to Lucy, who readily agreed. There were six weeks still before the end of the year-plenty of time to make a lot of money, if no accident happened. And then she would have done with the exciting, dangerous life she had led for so many years; then she would be comfortably settled with her kind friends, near her old home, and above the reach of poverty and want.

It was Christmas Eve. Five out of the six weeks had gone, and Lucy had been more successful than she had ever hoped for. Her prospects of a very large sum were very bright. This night, however, a terrible accident occurred. Lucy's foot slipped, and she fell from a giddy height. She was picked up insensible; at first it was thought she was dead. They carried her to the hospital, from which she was not moved

for many weary weeks. Her back was severely injured, and for the rest of her days she would be a cripple.

In a little Yorkshire village lives a cheerful, happy woman, bent almost double, but not with age. She is very kind to children, but especially to motherless children. If a show or circus comes anywhere near that village, you can always find this little woman inquiring about the children that are travelling with it. Many a little gold coin does she put into their hands. Perhaps you can guess who it is. It is Lucy May.

27. HOW I BECAME A SOLDIER. at-tic, top room of a house | lat-tice, fitted with bars cur-rent, force of the river re-cruit-ing, enlisting des-per-ate, fearless of

danger

in-just-ice, wrong-doing

re-cov-ered, got better
suf-fo-cat-ed, choked

My parents died when I was very young, and as I had neither relatives nor friends in that part of the country to care for me, I was sent to the union or poorhouse. There I was fed and clothed at the expense of the parish until I was ten years old, after which I was sent to learn the art of weaving stockings.

As I was only a parish apprentice, I received no education. You must remember that I am speaking of many years ago, for I am an old man now, and I am thankful to know things are

different from what they were sixty years ago. In those days, schools were only for the rich and great; poor people were said to be better without learning. So I grew up to be a strong, healthy lad of sixteen without knowing how to read or write.

My master was selfish, and kept me hard at work, for the sake of the few shillings I could earn. Early and late I had to toil, with scarcely enough to eat, and never a penny in my pocket. I used to see other boys have a holiday now and then, and a few coppers to spend as they liked.

When I complained, my master promised to give me all I could earn above twelve shillings a week. He also said I might have a holiday of one day in the year to see the Nottingham goose fair. But he so robbed and cheated me in all sorts of ways, taking advantage of my ignorance, that I never had any money, although I worked like a galley slave. Worse than this, he would somehow or other bring me into his debt, and say that I should have to work on my holiday to pay it off.

The second of October came, and I applied for my holiday and a little money. I was now in my seventeenth year, and had never had a single holiday for six years. I had heard a great deal, too, about the fair, and wanted to go. My master refused to let me go. He took me to the attic, which was my usual workshop, and locked me up like a prisoner, while he went to the fair to enjoy himself.

I felt so keenly the hardship of my position, and the injustice of my master, that I resolved to escape. I climbed up the narrow, crooked chimney till I stuck fast, and could get neither

up nor down. I struggled and kicked until the soot fell into my eyes and mouth, and almost suffocated me. At last some of the bricks gave way, and I fell into the workshop, bruised, bleeding, and blinded with soot.

This adventure made me desperate; but I was determined to escape. I knocked out the lattice window, and dropped from the attic to the ground. The neighbours saw me, and chased me as though I had been a thief. I ran across the fields, and plunged into the Trent. I was an excellent swimmer, and as the current was strong, and there were neither bridges nor boats near, I soon escaped from my pursuers.

I walked that day to Leicester in my wet clothes, and slept under a haystack at night. Here I was found next morning, in a high state of fever, by the farmer. Fortunately for me, he was a kind-hearted man. He had me removed to his farm, and from there to the poorhouse, where I was nursed and cared for till I recovered.

As soon as I was able to travel I took to the road again, for I knew my master would have taken me back to slavery if he could have found me. I passed through Warwick, and was drawing near the city of Gloucester, when a recruiting officer met me on the road.

'Will you fight for the king?' said he. 'You are a fine, strong fellow, but you look halfstarved. You are perhaps looking for work. Come now, enlist for a soldier, and you will get plenty to eat, fine clothes to wear, and plenty of prize-money too.' He drew such pictures of the comforts and joys, the honours and rewards of a soldier's life, that I took the shilling and went with him to be examined.