rt if that donkey and barrow
goes to hanybody that'll make light of 'em hand habuse 'em. There hain't
such another donkey and barrow in all London, and you're one that knows
it, Nan."

"Yes, I know it," Nan said. "You ought to know, if you think I could do
it."

"There's nought that can't be done if you sets your mind well to it,"
said old Widgeon. "And now, Nan, 'ere's the key, and you get Billy just
by the stable there to move my bits o' things over here. That court's no
place for you, an' there's more light here. Billy's a good 'un. He'll
'elp you when you need it."

This is the story of the fresh-faced, serious young woman who drives a
donkey-barrow through certain quiet streets in northwest London, and has
a regular line of customers, who find her wares, straight from Covent
Garden, exactly what she represents. Health and strength have come with
the new work, and though it has its hardships, they are as nothing
compared with the deadly, monotonous labor at the machine. Johnny, too,
shares the benefit, and holds the reins or makes change, at least once
or twice a week, while old Widgeon, a little more helpless, but
otherwise the same, regards his "stroke" as a providential interposition
on Nan's behalf, and Nan herself as better than any daughter.

"I've all the good of a child, and none o' the hups hand downs o' the
married state," he chuckles; "hand so, whathever you think, I'm lucky to
the hend."

CHAPTER X.

STREET TRADES AMONG WOMEN.

"With hall the click there is to a woman's tongue you'd think she could
'patter' with the best of the men, but, Lor' bless you! a woman can't
'patter' any more'n she can make a coat, or sweep a chimley. And why she
can't beats me, and neither I nor nobody knows."

"To patter" is a verb conjugated daily by the street seller of any
pretensions. The coster needs less of it than most vendors, his wares
speaking for themselves; but the general seller of small-wares,
bootlaces, toys, children's books, and what not, must have a natural
gift, or acquire it as fast as possible. To patter is to rattle off with
incredible swiftness and fluency, not only recommendations of the goods
themselves, but any side thoughts that occur; and often a street-seller
is practically a humorous lecturer, a student of men and morals, and
gives the result in shrewd sentences well worth listening to. Half a
dozen derivations are assigned to the word, one being that it comes from
the rattled o