Year: 1866

about the shop, which being also the set
! ting-room, did not afford much scope fo


business and domesticity combined. Bu
j now the fine days were coming, and Daddy
would be able to spend good deal of his
time out of doors. So. when the fine days
came, little Benny, Johns youngest but
/ two, who was not old enough to be OF any
assistance in the business, was appointed
to the sole and undivided duty of minding
grandfather, and taking him for walks
when it was convenient to get him out o
the way. Little Benny, little, large-head-
ed, wise-looking boy of six years, was Dad,
dys especial pet and favorite or, perhaps
it might have been said, SO much more re-
sponsible person was Benny, that Daddy
was has pet and favorite. Be that as il
would, they loved each other, and on fine
days, when the sun shone, it was their de-
light to wander hand in hand among the
neighboring streets, prattling together like
two children, and gazing in, with CHI dixie
wonder, at the pretty things IN the shop
windows. The people round about called
them the Babes in the Wood, and old Dad
dy was certainly as much babe as Benny.
He took the same interest in the contents
vi lllC 10Y -5LppS, dLti 90 uSNPiJ GO
Benny sighed to think that his youthful
guardian could not become the pOssessor
of much-coveted toy-gun with a pink
stock, which went off with spiral spring.
In their wanderings, day by day, the Babes
saw many strange things, and studied the
wonders of Somers Town with the deepest
interest. 1t was their special delight to
stand before an open door or window.
which afforded them a view of process of
manufacture. They stood on gratings and
listened to the rattle of sausage-machines
that went by steam" Benny informed his
his Charge and pupil, who was not very
well up in the modern arts and sciences !;
they gazed at the little men in shirt-sleeves
and fiat caps, who turned a miniature cof-
fee-mill under glass case at the grocer's,
such industrious little men, who always
kept on grinding whether their master was
in the shop or not, aud never seemed to 60
home 20 their meals. They superintended
the lowering of barrels into publchouse
cellars, learning the mysteries of the in
clned plane, and speculating as to whether
the barrels contained the particular kind of
six ale which grandfather liked !; they
watched the making of shoes and the turn
ing of wood, and were sometimes absorbed
in the haying of sheep, a process which
had deep abstract interest for Benny
while it set Daddy dabbling about the de-
lights-to him now purely visionary--of a
boiled leg of mutton and caper sauce.


In these wanderings Benny was careful
not to release his hold of Daddy's hand, for
he was particularly enjoined never to leave
him for a moment, and whenever he did,
not to let him tumble down. One muddy
day Benjy did let Daddy tumble, and sad
state of mind he was in for fear his mother
should find it out He did his best with his
little cotton pocket-handkerchef of efface
all traces of mud from Daddy's trousers
but he was afraid least the old man might
''tel on him" Not that there was any
want of loyalty between them, but Daddy
was getting so garrulous, shat he some
times, quite unintentionally, let out things
that got Benny into trouble so, when any
thing happened, Benny was obliged to re-
mind grandfather that he was not to tell.


"You won't tell mother that | let you
fall in the mud, will you, grandfather I" he
would say, as they bent their steps home
ward


90 no. Benny" the old man protested.
"I--I shant say word about it."


At first, before complete confidence had
been established between them, Brnjy
sought on one occasion to purchase his
grandfather's silence with penny which
he did not at that moment possess, but ex-
pected to have some day.; but he had
come to know now that the bond OF love
between them was strong enough to sus-
tain their mutual devotion, exec pt when II
was occasionally loosened by an inadver-
tence, or lapse of memory, which IN Dad
dy's case was beyond the power OF either
love or money to control Going home in
the. summer evenings, after their rambles,
Daddy and Benny had deeply interesting
tales to tell the family of the wonders OF
the great orld of Somers Town.


Alas that those relations should SO often
have fallen upon Indifferent ears But
John and Martha were becoming sullen and
moody, prey both of them to the deepest
anxiety The family was still increasing
but the business continued to resist all Ell
forts in the direction of developement.-
John was getting into debt at the coal
wharf and at the potato warehouse. The
times were hard, and were coming on har
der with the approach of winter. Coais
were at eighteen pence a hundred, pota
toes at IA penny a pound. The poor peo
pie couldn't pay the price. Poor women
came for few pounds of coal, and took
them away in their aprons. There was
scarcely any use for the truck. WheI
Goals were so dear, and fires so small
Chaldron Street was good deal given tc
warm itself in its beds, which thus became
permanent institution. The consequence
to John was that his bed-wrench rusted II
idleness and, in view of the oxide which
! accumulated upon it, it might be said tt
/ have been engaged i'll the disastrous occu


patton of eating its head off. The fortunes
! of the emporium were at very low ebb


John and Msrtha could scarcely provide


bare food for the family. The black Bea
dies, clamoring for victuals, and not ind


ing satisfaction at the little round table


passed like cloud of locusts over thu
stock in the shop, and making short worl
of the carrots, attacked even the cabbage


leaves and the turnIp-tops. John and Mar
tha were denying themselves day after day
that the old man might have IA bit OF some
thing nice and nourishing. But thing
were coming to crisis now. The Goa


merchant, the potato merchant, and the


landlord, all three threatened process, ant
John was in hourly expectation of an e1