Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1873-01-17
The Leisure Hour.
"TOT."
A STORY OF LONDON.

"Ain't sold none, mother. A boy took
one on em.'
And Tot, small ragged child, delivers
up to her mother eleven boxes of matches,
and then delivers herself to a scrutiny Of
her rags for the hidden money. The search
is fruitless; Tots scanty dress does not
yield even one farthing.
al told yer ow il 'ud be if yer sold none,
hot or cold so out you CO."
"I'll be froze to death, mother. | amt
eat nothing" replies Tot, piteouslv.
"Froze to death, will yer? I'd thank the
good Lord if he'd take yer-and me too,
a many wants to go. he can't take 'em all.
But out you CO. she goes on suddenly;
and Tot Is seized, pushed into the street,
and the door shut before she can utter one
word.
She waits for little. hoping against hope
that the door will reopen. But it isn't the
first time she has been turned out, and she
knows by experience how very small the
chance is of getting in again. She feels
very wretched, even more than usual. For
once in her life of eight years Tot has spok-
en- the truth she has eaten nothing all the
day. 1t doesn't matter much. She has
starved before and the idea that any one
ought to he blamed because she was in
want of food never occurs to her for mo-
ment. She has curious feeling in her
head, too; but she has been thrashed so Of
ten, and cursed at so often, that she il ac-
customed to curious feelings.
1t is very cold-freezing hard-and there
ls an east wind blowing-a wind that at
once declares war against Tot, and with its
sharp, cruel teeth attacks every part of her
body-face, hands, legs, and various small
er places here and there. Before leaving
the door that is so helplessly shut she pom
ders for a time how to pass the night-she
is sure mother will let her in next morn
ing. She knows lots of outdoor sleeping
places but she knows too, that they are
always well tenanted, and that, to pay her
footing she must submit to a preliminary
course of bullying; and she is so faint and
so cold that she fears to encounter il. So she
determines to walk about, trusting to some
happy chance to send her bed.
She hurrieS along till she gets into OK
pIu Stfttt. u IL ldlt III tnt evening, anu
the shops are lighted up. Tot knows them
by heart, but never gets tired of look ing.
One she likes best Of all it is full Of tiny
women and carriages, and little men and
women, and funny animals like yellow
dogs, but with very thick necks covered
with hair. And all these things are good
to eat. Tot knows that. for she has heard a
ladx In nol, L. .
dow till policeman orders her to move on;
but tonight, though she has hurried along
as quickly AS possible to get to this partic-
ular shop, she scarcely stays there a min
ute. How it is she cannot tell, but she has
lost all interest in the funny animals, in
deed she can see nothing funny about
them. She is restless, too, never standing
still ; and she has strange wish to get
somewhere, she has no idea where
She goes on through Oxford street, down
Regent street, and then turns into Piccadil-
ly. Her head seems to get lighter every
minute. She iancies, too, that she is not
| so cold and not so hungry AS at first, but
she cannot be too sure about ii. On, on
she walks, till the bright shops end, and a
railing begins, with trees and grass upon
the other side; and there is only single
line of light, stretching away out of sight.
Tot Is beginning to get out of her beat but
on she goes-she wants so much to get
somewhere" and there is plenty of time
to go home before morning.
There Is great crowd of carriages, and
cabs, and people, going the same way, and
this crowd keeps getting greater and great
er every minute. But Tot does not look at
the carriages or the cabs, or the people
much they wave about so strangely, and.
instead of going forward In a straight line,
they move In circle round and round.
She cannot help, now and then, tumbling
up against the people, too, for they are con-
tinually vanishing and appearing here and
there, and everywhere, In most confus-
ing manner; but she managed to get along,
standing dizzily, and the crowd grows
thick er and thicker. Suddenly all the car
riages and cabs go Oft at a tangent from the
circle, and rush away toward great build
ing on the left side of the road. II is so big
that Tot cannot see where II ends she can
soc only an enormous open door, out OF
which a bright light Is streaming. She has
never seen such place before; so she
pushed her way through the crowd close
to the door. The carriages drive up, and
ladies and gentlemen get out of them, and
go into the building, How very beautiful
they are And they keep coming and com
ing and coming. Hundreds there must be,
Tot thinks. Aud they are all quite clean
and their dresses are red and blue and gold
and silver, most wonderful to see, Tot