seemed determined to give Fred her wax doll, in which, she evidently
thought, resided every possible consolation.

The lady felt in her pocket and found a quarter, which she threw towards
Fred. "There, my boy, that will get you lodging and supper, and
to-morrow you can find some place to work, I dare say;" and she hurried
in with the little girl, and shut the door.

It was not money that Fred wanted just then, and he picked up the
quarter with a heavy heart. The sky looked darker, and the street
drearier, and the cold wind froze the tear on his cheeks as he walked
listlessly down the street in the dismal twilight.

"I can go back to the canal boat, and find the cook," he thought to
himself. "He told me I might sleep with him to-night if I couldn't find
a place;" and he quickened his steps with this determination. Just as he
was passing a brightly-lighted coffee house, familiar voices hailed him,
and Fred stopped; he would be glad even to see a dog he had ever met
before, and of course he was glad when two boys, old canal boat
acquaintances, hailed him, and invited him into the coffee house. The
blazing fire was a brave light on that dismal night, and the faces of
the two boys were full of glee, and they began rallying Fred on his
doleful appearance, and insisting on it that he should take something
warm with them.

Fred hesitated a moment; but he was tired and desperate, and the
steaming, well-sweetened beverage was too tempting. "Who cares for me?"
thought he, "and why should I care?" and down went the first spirituous
liquor the boy had ever tasted; and in a few moments, he felt a
wonderful change. He was no longer a timid, cold, disheartened,
heart-sick boy, but felt somehow so brave, so full of hope and courage,
that he began to swagger, to laugh very loud, and to boast in such high
terms of the money in his pocket, and of his future intentions and
prospects, that the two boys winked significantly at each other. They
proposed, after sitting a while, to walk out and see the shop windows.
All three of the boys had taken enough to put them to extra merriment;
but Fred, who was entirely unused to the stimulant, was quite beside
himself. If they sung, he shouted; if they laughed, he screamed; and he
thought within himself he never had heard and thought so many witty
things as on that very evening. At last they fell in with quite a press
of boys, who were crowding round a confectionery window, and, as usual
in such c