And this announcement came
at a time when Annie was already in no small difficulty to make the ends
of her expenditure meet those of her income. In fact, she had no longer
any income. For a considerable time she had, by the stinting of what had
before that seemed necessities, been making a shilling do the work of
eighteenpence, and now she knew nothing beyond, except to go without.
But how allow Hector to go without? He must die if she did! Already he
had begun to shrink in his clothes from lack of proper nourishment.
A rumor reaching him of a certain post as librarian, in the gift of an
old corporation, being vacant, Hector at once made application for it,
but only to receive the answer that Pegasus must not be put in harness:
poor Pegasus, on a false pretense of respect, must be kept out of the
shafts! His fat friends would not permit him to degrade himself earning
his bread by work he could have done very well; he must rather starve!
He tried for many posts, one after the other. Heavier and heavier fell
upon him each following disappointment. Annie had in her heart been
greatly disappointed that no prospect appeared of a child to sanctify
their union; but for that she had learned more than to console herself
with the reflection that at least there was no such heavenly visitor for
whose earthly sojourn to provide; and now how gladly would she have
labored for the child in the hope that such a joy and companionship
might lift him up out of his despondency! Then he would be able to enjoy
and assimilate the poor food she was able to get for him.
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