book2

54 HENRY'S BIRTHDAY.
gossiped over rather than read. They had been
taken home, and the pictures had been noticed,
and perhaps some of the more racy parts of them
read, especially the anecdotes ; but as to their
having been read carefully by any considerable
number of persons, that is a matter of some
doubt.
Now, Mr. Williams had been an author of
Sabbath-school books in former times, and while
Henry was talking about sending a book to
Samuel, the thought struck Mrs. Williams that
in one corner of the attic there was a small pile
of very good books, which were intended by Mr.
Williams for distribution, but which, in the mul
tiplicity of business, had been forgotten, or at least
neglected. Henry had indeed seen
it,
but as
it
was his father's work ,he had not paid any