In the meantime, our jolly pedlar, having caught a glimpse of Mrs.Temple at the parlor window, presented himself, and begged to know if she were inclined to make any purchases.

She nodded him a gentle and ladylike refusal, upon which he changed his ground, and said, "Maybe, ma'am, if you're not disposed to buy, that you'd have something you'd like to part wid.

If you have, ma'am, bad cess to the purtier purchaser you'd meet wid--shawls or trinkets, or anything that way--I mane, ma'am," he added, "things that arn't of any use to you--an' I'm the boy that will shell out the ready money, and over the value." Mrs Temple had known little--indeed nothing--of the habits of such a class as that to which our gay friend belonged; but be this as it may, his last words struck her quickly and forcibly.
"Do you make purchases, then ?" she said.
"I do, ma'am, plaise your honor," replied the pedlar.
"Stop a moment, then," she replied.

"I have some superfluous articles of dress that I may dispose of." The whole mother rushed into her heart at the thought; the tender and loving wife forgot everything but the means of obtaining food for her husband and children.

She went to her dressing-room, and in a few minutes returned, accompanied by Lilly Stewart, her own servant-maid previous to ker marriage, to whom their recent distresses had been no secret, and who was deeply and deservedly in the confidence of the family.
Whilst she was, absent in her dressing-room the pedlar resumed his song, as was his custom when alone--a circumstance which caused Mrs.Temple to remark, as she and Lilly went down to, the parlor--"Alas! dear Lilly, what a mistaken estimate does one portion of mankind form of another.
This poor pedlar now envies us the happiness of rank and wealth which we do not feel, and I--yes, even I--what would I not give to be able to carol so light-hearted a song as that which he is singing! Who is this man, Lilly, do you know him ?" "Why, ma'am, if all they say is true, every one knows him, and nobody knows him.