on a board, and he was walking with 'em a-top of his head. I was
just a wonderin how he kept 'em there, when he hit the board agin my
lamp-post, and the first thing I knew, whack they all went! he'd spilt
them everyone. Lucky enough for him, there was a great bank of soft snow
close to the side-walk, and the most of 'em fell into that and wasn't
hurt. Some went on to the bricks, and were smashed. Well, I kind o'
pitied the feller; for it was late, and I thought like enough he hadn't
had much luck sellin' of 'em, to have so many left on his hands----"

"On his head, you mean," said Willie.

"Yes, Master Willie, or on the snow," said True; "any way you've a mind
to have it."

"And I know what you did, Uncle True, just as well as if I'd seen you,"
said Willie; "you set your ladder and lantern right down, and helped him
to pick 'em all up--that's just what you'd be sure to do for anybody."

"This feller, Willie, didn't wait for me to get into trouble; he made
return right off. When they were all set right, he bowed and scraped,
and touched his hat to me, as if I'd been the biggest gentleman in the
land; talkin,' too, he was, all the time, though I couldn't make out a
word of his lingo; and then he insisted on my takin' one o' the figurs.
I wasn't agoin' to take it, for I didn't want it; but I happened to
think little Gerty might like it."

"Oh, I shall like it!" said Gerty. "I shall like it better than--no, not
better, but almost _as well_ as my kitten; not _quite_ as well, because
that was alive, and this isn't; but _almost_. Oh, an't he a cunning
boy?"

True, finding that Gerty was wholly taken up with the image, walked
away and began to get the tea, leaving the two children to entertain
each other.

"You must take care and not break it, Gerty," said Willie. "We had a
Samuel once, just like it, in the shop; and I dropped it out of my hand
on to the counter, and broke it into a million pieces."

"What did you call it?" asked Gerty.

"A Samuel; they're all Samuels."

"What are _Sammles_?" inquired Gerty.

"Why, that's the name of the child they're taken for."

"What do you s'pose he's sittin' on his knee for?"

Willie laughed. "Why, don't you know?" said he.

"No," said Gerty; "what is he?"

"He's praying," said Willie.

"Is that what he's got his eyes turned up for, too?"

"Yes, of course; he looks up to heaven when he prays."

"Up to where?"

"To heaven."

Gerty looked up at the ceiling in the di