Eastern times. [volume] (Bath, Me.) 1846-1857, 1851-02-13
VOL. v.

L =
that time he had learned to write the names of
the seeds in clear, firm hand. Dicky Woods
heart was bent upon learning to write well,
from that moment He knew how to write a
little, but could not afford to pay any money
for being taught, so he set TO work every night
with slate and pencil to improve himself, by
copying old flower and seed labels. Early in
the spring, before any flowers were in season,
he used to take watercresses and chickweed
to London TO sell-getting lift in the early
morning, by some friendly cart, on its way TO
Coven Garden. .....
Now, it happened that young widow with
a .ickly little girl, lived in Brick Court. The
little girl had linnet-a dear, favorite bird,
whose song cheered her when she was in pain.
Mrs. Brown, poor as she was, always manag-
ed to feed Mary's linnet well and when she
heard Dcky Woods voice one morning in the
court, crying 'chickweed and grounded, she
opened the window and made sign to him,
that she would buy some if he would wait till
she got down stairs. Dicky waited of course,
but his customer kept him So long before she
made her appearance below, that he began TO
think her custom was not worth mnch; but
when he saw her come down the last few
stairs to meet him, his impaiience vanished,
and he hobbled forward towards her eagerly,
saying, Don't come any further, ma am -
Poor Mrs Brown was lame; much lamer than
he was she was obliged to walk with a
crutch. He gave her the best halfpennyworth
of chickweed he had in his basket, and prom
ised to bring her more the next time he came
that way. He not only brought it, but he car
ried it up stairs to her door for he r, because,
as he told his grandmother, my legs are the
youngest, and | think it hurts her 10 walk
much more than it does me- Mrs. Brown
was sempstress, and sat still all day long,
sewing, by the side of her sick little girl
They never had any visiters but the parish
doctor and Dicky Wood, who came regularly
twice week; the one TO feel the little girls
pulse and leave some medicine and sometimes
little money-,he other to bring the linuet
his allowance of fresh greenstuffs. After one
or two visits, Dicky got to feel quite friendly
with Mrs. Brown and Mary, and would fire.
quently stop n few minutes 10 talk with them.
Once or twice he brought the poor little girl
some spring flowers, crocuses and primroses.
which had been given him, and it pleased the
good-natured boy 10 see how the large, hollow
eyes of the little girl frightened as she looked
at them.
'Molher,' said Mary, one day, when the
linnet was singing cheerily and she had look
ed for a long time, at bunch of primroses,
which Dicky had brought her, Mother,
think should get well if could only be
where the flowers grow and the birds sing. ;
Poor, pale Mrs. Brown looked at the child
sadly; but she was too good mother to say
any thing saddening.
'Ah well, my darling. We can't tell
what may happen. God is very good, you
know. | hope we shall get into the country
one of these fine days. Shall tell you about
the pleasant country place | used to live in
when l was little girlr And the fond
mother described Springfield, the village in
which she was born; and Mary listened and
looked at her primroses till she quite forgot
that she was in garret, in Brick Court,
Westminster
The next time that Dicky came, when he
had put the groundsel in the cage, little Mary
place he lived in and Dicky sat down beside
her bed and told her about the large nursery
grounds with their green houses and hot hous-
es, and the beautiful villas with large gardens,
and the neat cottages with small ones, which
are to be seen at Fulham and in its neighbor-
hood.
'Oh! it is most beautiful place, and only
wish YOU would come and live in it. Why,
bless you you can't think what lots of flow
ers my master has in his houses. If you stare
SO at these'-pointing to few jonquils he had
brought for her-'youreyes would come quite
out of your head, I'm thinking, if you could
catch glimpse of our camelias, and azaleas
and geraniums.' aH .7-7
'What hard words y said little Mary
But will try and remember them. Give
me my book, mother, and a pencil, and if you
will tell me how to spell them, will write
down the Names
ha,x- tha=a horI
words as well as Dicky; and when Mary
had written them, he saw that she wrote
much quicker and better than he did. He
asked her how she had learned to write so
well, and she told him that she used TO go to
school before she fell i'll. Dicky thought he
would give grea, deal, if he had it to give,
TO be able to write as well as poor little Mary
Brown; and he felt that his liking for her and
her mother was much increased since he found
they were SO well educated. ie
As the season advanced, Dicky Wood he.
came more constantly employed at Fulham,
and did not come often TO London and
when he did, it was to sell plants at a six
pence and shilling each. He was sorely
tempted to give one Of these 10 little Mary,
every lime he came, for he was a generous
hearted little fellow but he refraincd from
doing so, because he knew that he could sell
them' and that it was his duty TO be just be-
lore he was geneIous. His grandmother
was failing fast, and every penny he could
scrnpe together was required to get neces.s-
ries and comforts for her. No! much as he