of Joe in the distance, ran heavily after him
with the delighted child. They soon reached the old man, and turned over
his wares.

"'There's a booful one, dad,' said the fat child, 'a booful one with a
fire lighted! Oh, I like that _so_ much!'

"'I'll bring ye one next week, Miss,' replied old Joe, seeing they were
good customers; 'this here ain't for sale, but I'll bring the fellow to
ye next week.'

"'I want it now,' pouted the child, peevishly.

"'What's the price of him, master?' asked the butcher. 'Don't be cross,
Phoebe, you shall have it.'

"'I can't sell he,' replied the old man, 'but I'll bring you another
just like it to-night, and it will be fourpence; I can't sell 'em no
lower because of the time and trouble they takes.'

"'I want it now, I want a kishin now,' whined Phoebe, hiding her red,
cross face on her father's shoulder.

"'I'll give ye sixpence for that one, old chap,' said her father,
positively, 'and if you won't sell it, you may go to Coventry, if you
like!'

"'I wouldn't sell that one for a shilling for a reason I have,' said
Joe; 'but as little Miss have a set her heart on it so, I'll go back and
fetch t'other one now. Will that do, little Missee? And if you are a
good girl, and don't cry, and wait with patience till I come back, old
Joe will bring you a kitchen table with it into the bargain!'

"Like a sensible child, as she was, Phoebe said she would, and nodding a
half reluctant and doubting farewell to the old man, she saw him set off
at his best pace on his way home to fetch her the fellow kitchen to
myself. And not for any sum of money would old Joe have broken any
promise he had made to a child. When he got back to his dark, cold room,
he found his one friendly visitor waiting for him, but only begged her
to sit down and wait for him a little while so that he could run back to
the child with the toy. He was more than rewarded, even in very
profitable ways, for not only did the little girl, who had been eagerly
watching for him on the steps, rush out clapping her hands for the
promised Kitchen, but the good-natured butcher, seeing how the old man
must have hurried to keep his word to the little one, gave him a nice
bit of steak at the same time with the price of the toy, telling him he
was afraid he would miss his dinner, and so, perhaps, that would make
up.

"'Thank ye, kindly,' replied the old man, 'but you see I ain't no dinner
to lose to speak of, cos I always has a crust o