Lettice's father was a man of education, a scholar, a gentleman, and had
much power in preaching. He received one hundred and ten pounds per year
for his services. Her father's illness was long and painful, and the
family were dependant on others for assistance.
"We at last closed his eyes," said Lettice, "in deep sorrow." He used to
say to himself, "It is a rough road, but it leads to a good place."
After his funeral, the expenses exhausted all that was left of their
money--only a few pounds were left when the furniture was sold, and "we
were obliged," said Lettice, "to give up the dear little parsonage. It
was a sweet little place. The house was covered all over with
honeysuckles and jessamines; and there was the flower garden in which I
used to work, and which made me so hale and strong, and aunt Montague
used to say I was worth a whole bundle of fine ladies.
"It was a sad day when we parted from it. My poor mother! How she kept
looking back, striving not to cry, and poor Myra was drowned in tears.
"Then we afterwards came to London. A person whom we knew in the village
had a son who was employed in one of the great linen warehouses, and he
promised to try to get us needlework. So we came to London, took a small
lodging, and furnished it with the remnant of our furniture. Here we
worked fourteen hours a day apiece, and we could only gain between three
and four shillings each. At last mother died, and then all went; she
died, and had a pauper's funeral."
From this room the orphan girls removed soon after their mother's
decease, and located among the poor of Marylebone street, where Mrs.
Danvers accidentally met with the two sisters, in one of her visits
among the poor, and for whom she obtained the work which led to the
unexpected meeting related in the previous story.
[Illustration]