that he has been delivered into my hands, to snatch him from the dangers which threaten him, and that I should be committing a sin to cast him off."

Joseph!" said his wife, in a tone of remonstrance_and alarm," you cannot surely know what you are saying. If it should be the will of Heaven that we should have more mouths of our own family to feed, Providence would provide us with the means; but it is not expected that such as we can provide for the children of others. And then think, husband! the idea of bringing such a child into our family, as a companion to our children, even if we could afford it."

66

It is that of which I am thinking, Mary. There lies the difficulty; but suppose, just for a day or two, we give the poor boy shelter? He must otherwise be sent into the streets again; and he is young-a mere infant-he can't be confirmed in any sinful courses as yet; a little training might make something out of him still. In the meantime I will speak to Mr. Blunt; he is a good, kind-hearted gentleman, and will advise me what to do; but to-night, Mary, at all events, sooner than cast the poor stray waif adrift, let me fetch him home."

66

'But his clothing, Joseph! Are you sure he is clean ?" remonstrated the wife.

"Well, as to that, Mary, I wouldn't like to say too much; but you can wash him well, and Billy's clothing will fit him. You can give him the jacket and trowsers Billy has laid aside because they are too small. This little fellow is much thinner than our Billy, although he is as tall, perhaps."

66

I wouldn't put him to sleep with my children, any way,” answered Mrs. Carter.

66

Then, Mary, we could make him up a bed on the floor, in the corner," persisted the husband.

"And he might use bad words, and Billy would learn them," remonstrated the wife.

We must correct him if he does; but I will warn him. He doesn't seem to be deficient in sense; indeed, he has more sense than most children of his age. Poor thing! he has been obliged to use his wits to manage to live, while more fortunate children were playing."

Mrs. Carter continued her remonstrances and objections for some time longer; but she saw that her husband was resolved, and besides, he pleaded so earnestly, reminding her that her own children might possibly stand in need of a helping hand from strangers, and spoke of the cruel usage that the child had evidently met with, with so much feeling, that the

woman's and mother's heart at length softened, and Mrs. Carter consented to give shelter to the poor outcast, for a day or two, until Joseph and his friends could devise some other means of providing for him.

Having thus gained his point, Joseph started off to Cedarstreet, and told the landlord of the tavern that he had come for the child.

age;

I'm right glad of it," said he; "to tell the truth, had begun to think that you had left him on our hands, and we should have packed him off to-night, I can tell you. Such a mischievous little vagabond I never came across in all my daysand as to eating, why he eats as much as a boy of twice his he would eat a body out of house and home, if you'd let him have all he craves for. But what are you going to do with him, Mr. Carter? If you are going to drop him, take my advice, and drop him where he wont easily find his way into this neighbourhood again; for, depend upon it, if you don't, you'll have him prowling around your beat; and I can tell you, he can't come here any more. There's sixpence, child," he continued, addressing the boy, and presenting him with the coin; " and now be off with this gentleman, and don't come back no more, or else it will be worse for you. Be thankful that you've fared so well."

No fear," said Joseph; "I'm a going to take him home with me for the present. You'll be glad to go home with me, wont you, my dear?" added he, addressing the child.

The little fellow for the first time gave him a grateful and confiding look, and placing his small hand in his, cowered close to his side, as if frightened at the tavern-keeper. He did not speak, but the pleading look and the soft pressure of that little hand were more eloquent than words.

"Whew-w-w!" whistled the landlord, while Mrs. Howsen lifted her hands in surprise, and exclaimed, "Laws me! to think of taking home a beggar's brat into the buzzom of an honest family. Well, that comes of having children. Thank God! I never had no children.'

The watchman did not reply, further than to ask if there was anything more to pay for the food and shelter the child had had.

66

Why no," replied the landlord; "for the matter of that, the little vagabond's welcome to what he's had; I don't want to take pay for such a trifle; but I tell ye what, Joseph Carter, I wish you joy of your bargain."

Joseph led the child to his house in Mulberry-street, and presented him to his wife.

The good woman had certainly not been prepossessed in the little boy's favour by the description her husband had given of him: and when she saw him, her prejudice seemed to rise anew.

66

Gracious, Joseph!" she cried, "what a dirty, beggarlylooking little creature. And what a wicked-looking eye he's got. I'm half sorry now that I agreed to take him in. Do see Mr. Blunt, and advise with him about him.'

"Whosoever giveth a cup of cold water to one of my little ones-' you know the promise, Mary ?" said Joseph Carter.

And Mary Carter strove to overcome her antipathy and repugnance, and took the hand of the poor deserted little creature. And Joseph, satisfied that his wife's better feelings once awakened, she would be kind to the poor child, left him in her charge, and went to his work. And Mary Carter washed and clothed the poor homeless wanderer, and then observing him to be wearied, laid him down to sleep-yes, laid him down to sleep on her own children's bed!

This was the first introduction of Henry Selby to the home of the Watchman-Joseph Carter.

CHAPTER III.

JOSEPH CARTER RESOLVES TO KEEP THE CHILD.

"We have a shelter while you have none; part of the little we possess belongs to you; for you are poorer than we."-MADAME COTTIN.

WHEN Joseph Carter reached the merchant's store in Southstreet, he found his employer seated in the counting-room. He resolved at once to speak to him about the child.

"Can I speak a few words with you, Mr. Blunt ?" he asked respectfully, advancing to the door of the office,

66

Certainly, Joseph; step in and take a seat. What have you to say p

66

I merely wish for a little advice, sir. You are aware that I eke out my small income by doing duty as a watchman three and four nights in the week alternately."

"Ah!" said Mr. Blunt, interrupting him, and misinterpreting the cause of his address. "And you find the duty too arduous. No doubt it must be so. And you wish to procure more steady and remunerative employment during the day, and so be enabled to dispense with this night duty. Well, I'll think it over and see what I can do for you; at present I see no opening in my store, but I highly approve

of your general conduct, and am assured of your honesty and industry. I will speak to some of my friends."

"I thank you, sir, for your kindness; but I was not intending to trouble you about myself. Thank God, I earn good wages in my occupation as a carman, and enjoy good health. The stipend I earn as one of the city watchmen I set aside for the purpose of educating my children and procuring such little extra comforts and luxuries as render my home more agreeable. My wife, too, is an industrious woman; our family is at present but small, and as we have lost our baby, she has considerable time on her hands, and always is enabled to get plenty of work to do for the stores. So, as long as God spares us our health, we shall do well enough. But last night, sir, I found a small child, I should think not more than five or six years of age, sitting crying on the step of a doorway, drenched with the sleet, for it was a hard night, and shivering with cold, and the poor little fellow was nearly famished, as I afterwards found out. I took him to Howsen's tavern, in Cedar-street, and got his clothing dried, and provided him with some food and a night's lodging; and to-day, after a good deal of coaxing, I learnt from him that his name is Henry Selby, and that for some days past he has actually been living in the streets, sleeping in the open air, and trusting to chance for food. He would perhaps have died before morning had I not discovered him. He says he has no parents. He does not appear even to recollect his parents at all, and he has been living in some den in the Five Points, with an old woman, whom he calls Mother Shipley, and who, to judge from the child's story, keeps a number of children to beg and steal for her. He ran away from the old woman because he was used cruelly, and it must have been hard usage that would cause so young a child to leave even such a home as that; indeed his little arms and shoulders are evidence of the treatment he has been subjected to. They kept him at the public-house till this forenoon, when they refused to keep him any longer, and would have turned him adrift had I not taken him home. I cannot blame them for it; for, to tell the truth, the poor boy has been so neglected and is so ill-favoured and dirty, that he was not a pleasant inmate; besides, he was nothing to them; but I had found him in the streets, and it went against me to send him back to perish, perhaps. So I have taken the liberty to ask your advice as to what I had best do."

"It would be difficult for me to decide, Joseph," replied Mr. Blunt. "You had better, perhaps, make the circum

stances known to a magistrate. He may be able to advise you better than I.”

"I have done so, sir. I called upon Justice Slocomb, and he told me he could do nothing. "There were hundreds of such cases,' he said, ' and it was impossible to attend to them all.' I thought that was a poor argument why he could attend to none, but he would not interfere."

"And so you took the child to your own house ?"

66

Yes, sir; I had some difficulty in persuading my wife to allow him to be brought, for, though Mary has a kind heart, she did not like the idea of such a child as this little boy being brought as a companion to our own children; besides, sir, I am not in a position to support a strange child. But Mary promised at last to let him stay a day or two, and I said I would call and see you about him."

.

Mr. Blunt was a benevolent, pious, and withal a wealthy man; but the very fact of his being known as such, led to his being called upon to exercise his charity largely; besides, he was immersed in business, and already was compelled to devote more time than he could wisely spare to philanthropic objects. He sat silent for some moments after Joseph had done speaking, and then said:

"You have done a good action, Carter, and I think all the better of you for your humanity; but really I scarcely know what to advise you. If you could find out the woman with whom the child has been living-perhaps she is his mother, after all-it would perhaps be best to send him back to her. It is hard to see so much misery and poverty, but it is impossible to give assistance to all. I have more to do that way now than I know how to manage. Perhaps you had better make inquiries about him, and meantime, since you say you have taken him to your home, let him remain there for a day or two. However, I will see that you are not taxed for his support. Here are five dollars for you to spend upon him, and reimburse yourself for any expenses you may have incurred, (tendering Joseph a five dollar bill,) and I will speak to Mrs. Blunt. She may perhaps find him some old clothes of the children's which I will have sent to the store, and you can take them home with you to-morrow."

"Thank you, Mr. Blunt; I shall be glad of any spare garments that you can send the poor fellow, for his own clothes are a heap of rags and filth; and I need not tell you that my own children need all that I am able to supply them with; but I had rather not take the money, sir, indeed I had. It would be hard with me if I could not afford the little matter of food