Office work doesn't fit a man of his age for tramping the road.

We've collected two shillings for him among us,--you give sixpence, and there's half-a-crown all told.

God bless the total!" He seized his cap as it was handed back to him, and shook it, to show that it was lined with jingling halfpence, and his eyes sparkled like those of a child enjoying a bit of mischief.
"Come, Miss Tranter! Help the Gospel mission!" Her features relaxed into a smile, and feeling in her apron pocket, she produced the requested coin.
"There you are!" she said.--"And now you've got it, how are you going to give him the money ?" "Never you mind!" and Tom swept all the coins together, and screwed them up in a piece of newspaper.

"We'll surprise the old man as the angels surprise the children!" Miss Tranter said nothing more, but withdrawing to the passage, stood and watched her customers go out of the door of the "Trusty Man," one by one.

Each great hulking fellow doffed his cap to her and bade her a respectful "Good-night" as he passed, "Feathery" Joltram pausing a moment to utter an "aside" in her ear.
"'A fixed oop owd Arbroath for zartin zure!"-- and here, with a sly wink, he gave a forcible nudge to her arm,--"An owd larrupin' fox 'e be!--an' Matt Peke giv' 'im the finish wi's fav'rite! Ha--ha--ha! 'A can't abide a wurrd o' that long-legged wench! Ha--ha--ha! An' look y'ere, Miss Tranter! I'd 'a given a shillin' in Tom's 'at when it went round, but I'm thinkin' as zummat in the face o' the owd gaffer up in bed ain't zet on beggin', an' m'appen a charity'd 'urt 'is feelin's like the poor-'ouse do.