ome shopping first," exclaimed
Pollie; "I shall not be long." And away she ran, gaily laughing at her
mother's look of surprise.

Down the stairs she went, then out into the Court; and just round the
corner in Drury Lane was a greengrocer's shop, in the window of which
hung a label "New-laid Eggs."

I fear that label told a fiction, but Pollie believed in it, and thought
the eggs were laid by the identical hens she saw earning a scanty living
by pecking in the gutters and among the cabs and carts; so with a
feeling of being very womanly, and tightly grasping the precious
shilling in her hand, she took courage to approach the shopkeeper, who
stood with arms akimbo in the doorway, flanked on one side by potatoes
in bins, and on the other by cabbages and turnips in huge baskets.

"Please, ma'am," said Pollie, "will you let me have a new-laid egg for
mother?"

The woman took an egg from a basket and gave it to her.

"If you please, is it quite fresh? because mother is so poorly, and I
want it to do her good."

The shopkeeper looked at the earnest little face, and somehow felt she
could not tell an untruth to the child, the brown eyes were raised so
trustingly.

"Well, my little gal, I can't say as it be quite fresh, but it's as good
as any you'll get about here."

"Then I'd better not have it," said the child, giving it back to the
woman again; "only I did so want to get her something nice for her
tea,--she can't eat much." And the lips quivered with suppressed sorrow
at the disappointment.

"Why don't you get her a bit of meat instead?" asked the woman; "that'll
do her good, I warrant!"

"Will this buy some?" questioned the child with brightened eyes, and
opening her hand she showed the shilling. "To be sure it will. Here,
give it to me; I'll go and get you one pound of nice pieces at my
brother's next door, if you'll just mind the shop till I come back; you
can be trusted, I see," replied the mistress of the place, whose woman's
heart was touched by the little girl's distress.

Pollie stood where she was left, guarding the baskets with watchful
eyes. Fortunately no mischievous people were about, so the vegetables
were safe, though it was with no small relief she saw their owner return
with such nice pieces of meat wrapped up in clean paper.

"There," said the greengrocer's wife (whose name was Mrs. Smith, by the
way), "these are good and fresh; my brother let me choose them, and have
them cheap too, only f