Not that I should keep anything from you; only this is so very dreadful that I hardly know how to write it.

Somebody says,--a Mr.Soames, I believe it is,--that papa has taken some money that does not belong to him, and he is to be brought before the magistrates and tried.

Of course, papa has done nothing wrong.

I do think he would be the last man in the world to take a penny that did not belong to him.

You know how poor he is; what a life he has had! But I think he would almost sooner see mamma starving;--I am sure he would rather be starved himself, than even borrow a shilling which he could not pay.