At last, however, the slangs came; and his two boys, provided with them (at ten shillings per head), were now, in their sphere of life, in the position of young men who had received an education or been amply established in business, and were gifted with all that could be expected from a doting father.

In its way this bit of intelligence meant as much to the basketmaker as, "Have you heard that young Fitz-Grubber has just got the double-first at Oxford ?" or, "Do you know that old Cheshire has managed that appointment in India for his boy ?--splendid independence, isn't it ?" And I was shrewdly suspected by my audience, as the question implied, that I had had a hand in expanding this magnificent opening for the two fortunate young men.
"_Dick adoi_!" cried one, pointing up the river.

"Look there at Jim!" I looked and saw a young man far off, shirking along the path by the river, close to the hedge.
"He thinks you're a _gav-mush_," observed Henry; "and he's got some sticks, an' is tryin' to hide them 'cause he daren't throw 'em away.

Oh, aint he scared ?" It was a pleasing spectacle to see the demi-Gipsy coming in with his poor little green sticks, worth perhaps a halfpenny, and such as no living farmer in all North America would have grudged a cartload of to anybody.
Droll as it really seemed, the sight touched me while I laughed.

Oh, if charity covereth a multitude of sins, what should not poverty do?
I care not through which door it comes--nay, be it by the very portal of Vice herself--when sad and shivering poverty stands before me in humble form, I can only forgive and forget.