Year: 1875

. Il = y IL


As a pawnbroker in popular suburb
of London, have had occasion to see
painful and sometimes not unpleasant
phases of society. Just to give an idea
of what occasionally comes under the
notice of persons of my profession, 1
shall describe a little incident and its
consequences. One evening | stepped
to the door for little fresh air and to
look about Inc for moment. While /
was gazing up and down the road, saw
tidily-dressed young person step up to
our side door. She walked like lady
and let me tell you that in nine cases
out of ten it's the walk and not the dress
that distinguishes the lady-and first
she looked about and then she seemed
TO make up her mind in hurried sort
of way, and in a moment more was
standing at our counter holding out a
glittering something in a little trem-
bling hand covered by worn kid
glove.


My assistant, Isaacs, was stepping for
ward to take the seal, when l came in
and interposed. The poor young thing
was so nervous and shy, and altogether
SO unused to this work, that L felt for
her as if she had been my own daugh-
ter almost. She could not have been
above eighteen years old-so frail and
gentle creature.


'Tf you please, will you tell me-" she
said in a very sweet, low voice, trem
Ling with nervousness, "what is the
value of this seal!"


"Well, miss" said, taking the seal
into my hand and looking at it; 1t was
an old fashioned seal, such as country
gentlemen used to wear. with a-soat OF
arms cut upon it-''that depends upon
whether you want to pledge or sell it
outright"


Il am married, sir, and she said the
words proudly and with dignity, though
still so shy, and seeming ready to burst
out crying; ''and my husband is very i'll
and" And then the tears wouldn't
be kept back any longer, and she Sob
bed as if her poor little heart would
break.


There, there, my DEAR" said to her
"don't cry; it will all come right in
time; and tried to comfort her in my
own rough and ready way. 'I will
lend you, ma'am," said to her at last,
"a sovereign upon this seal; and if you
wish to sell it perhaps / can sell it for
you to advantage" And SO gave her
a pound; and she tripped away with
lighter heart and many thanks to me.
and thought no more of the matter at
the time


The very next day, the day before
Christmas, there came into our place of
business a very eccentric gentleman,
who had called upon us pretty often be
fore, not for the sake of pawning any
thing, though he was dressed shabby
enough to. But he was a collector
one of those men who are made upon
old china and curiosities of all sorts.


Anything in my way today Mr.
Davis?" he said, in his quick. energetic
manner, with jolly smile upon his
face and putting down the cigarette he
was smoking upon the edge Of the coun-
ter. The Rev. Mr.. Broadman was a col
lector of gems, rings and seals, and. in
fact, of any stones that have heads or
figures upon them. And | had been in
the habit of putting aside for him
whatever in this way passed through
our hands, for he gave us better prices
than we should have got for them at
our quarterly sales. The fact is,
Davis, }" he said to pe, ''these things are
Invaluable; many of tn em are as beau
tiful, on a small scale, as the old Greek
scriptures; and some are even by the
same artist; and they are made no long
er; for, in this busy nineteenth century
of ours, time and brains are too precious
to be spent on these laborious trifes- "
Now, although / had no stones OF the
kind that he wanted just then, it enter
ed into my head that | would tell him
about the seal which had come into my
possession the evening before.


l told him the story somewhat as
have just told it to you He then con
graduated me upon the way in which
had acted. He asked, too, for the young
lady's address, which she had given me
quite correct, and then he left the shop
without another word.


You must give me leave to tell the
rest of the story in my own way:
although it may be a very different way
| from that which the reverend person
age employed in relating it to me alter
| ward.


| Ii seemed that it was runaway
match. a country baronet's son had
fallen in love with the Clergyman :
daughter la the village where his fathei
lived. and they had run away together
and got married. Then they came up
to London, these two poor young things
for neither his father, nor hers either
for that matter, would have anything
| to saw to tine match-he, full OF hopes
of getting ON in the literary and artistic
line, and she, poor creature, full oil trus
in him. n.


The project of living by literature dic


not turn out what was expected Th'


young fellow, without experience o.


friends, spent much time in going a'ou


from one publisher 20 another, an'