"You must do something for yourself. You can not expect to eat

the bread of idleness. I have done, and will do for you what I

can--whatever is necessary;--but I have my own family to provide

for. I can not rob my own child---"

"Nor do I expect it, Mr. Clifford," I replied hastily, and with some

indignation. "It is my wish, sir, to draw as little as possible

from your income and resources. I would not rob Julia Clifford of

a single dollar. Nay, sir, I trust before many years to be able

to refund you every copper which has been spent upon me from the

moment I entered your household."

He said hastily:-"I wish nothing of that, Edward;--but the law is a study of years,

and is expensive and unpromising in every respect. Your clothes

already call for a considerable sum, and such a profession requires,

more than almost any other, that a student should be well dressed."

"I promise you, sir, that my dress shall be such as shall not

trespass upon your income. I shall be governed by as much economy--"

He interrupted me to say, that "His duty required that his brother's son should be dressed as well

as his associates."

I replied, with tolerable composure:-"I do not think, sir, that bricklaying will admit of very genteel

clothing, nor do I think that the vocation will suit me. I have

flattered myself, sir, that my talents--"

"Oh, you have talents, then, have you? Well, it is fortunate that

the discovery has been made in season."

I bore with this, though my cheek was burning, and said--with

an effort to preserve my voice and temper, in which, though the

difficulty was great, I was tolerably successful-"You have misunderstood me in some things, Mr. Clifford; and I will

try now to explain myself clearly in others. Having resolved, sir,

that the law shall be my profession---"

"Ha! resolved, say you?"

"Yes, sir."

"Well, go on--go on!"

"Having resolved to pursue the study of law, and seeing that I am

burdensome and expensive to you--believing, too, that I can relieve

you of the burden--I have simply requested permission of you to

make the attempt."

"Why, how do you propose to do so?--how can you support yourself--that

is relieve me of the burden of your expenses--and study the law at

the same time?"

"Such things have been done, sir; and can be done again. I flatter

myself I can do it. Industry will enable me to do so. I propose to

apply for a clerkship in a mercantile establishment which I know

stands in need of assistance, and while there will pursue my studies

in such intervals of leisure as the business will afford me."




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