did; nor did she pry into the little unhappy affairs which had contributed to bring them to poverty. It is only the callous heart that does this; only those who wish to make themselves conspicuous who ferret out the little miserable secrets of the poor.
At length, on Christmas day, the little boy was born; his mother's birthday likewise; and it seemed as if Mr. Bangs had never lived till that moment. He was sitting in a very nervous, dogged, defying sort of way, by himself, in the front parlour, before a large fire, having some anxiety about his daughter, but a greater sympathy for himself and his thirteen disappointments, when Mrs. Bangs entered the room. He turned slowly around and stared at her with his mouth wide open, as she announced that Fanny was safely through her trouble; and that Mr. Floss was too happy to do more than cry like a child.
Mr. Bangs was speechless, while his wife expatiated on Fanny's fortitude, and her anxiety to prevent her mother from knowing what her sufferings were. Still Mrs. Bangs did not hear the sound of thanksgiving from his lips. She little dreamed that the foolish old man's head was running on the sex of the child.
"And—and—wife," said he at last, "it is a girl, I presume; nothing but girls in this life," said he, as he jerked himself around and stared at the fire. "I hope I shall be rewarded in the other world, by having some of my girls turned to boys."
"Why, Christopher, did I not tell you that the dear chubby little thing was a boy?"
"A boy!" exclaimed he, jumping on his feet, his face flushed with agitation, "a boy—a boy—now, Molly Bangs, are you sure?—take care—remember, a man can't bear disappointments for ever—I've had thirteen, remember."
