two.

  'There's nothing,' said Toby, breaking forth
afresh -- but here he stopped short in his trot, and with
a face of great interest and some alarm, felt his nose
carefully all the way up. It was but a little way
(not being much of a nose) and he had soon finished.

  'I thought it was gone,' said Toby, trotting off
again. 'It's all right, however. I am sure I
couldn't blame it if it was to go. It has precious
hard service of it in the bitter weather, and precious
little to look forward to; for I don't take snuff my-
self. It's a good deal tried, poor creetur, at the best
of times; for when it does get hold of a pleasant whiff
or so (which an't too often), it's generally from
somebody else's dinner, a-coming home from the
baker's.'

  The reflection reminded him of that other reflec-
tion, which he had left unfinished

  'There's nothing,' said Toby, 'more regular in its
coming round than dinner-time, and nothing less
regular in its coming round than dinner. That's the
great difference between 'em. It's took me a long
time to find it out. I wonder whether it would be
worth any gentleman's while now, to buy that obser-
wation for the Papers; or the Parliament!'

  Toby was only joking, for he gravely shook his
head in self-depreciation.

  'Why! Lord!' said Toby. 'The Papers is full of
obserwations as it is; and so's the Parliament.
Here's last week's paper, now'; taking a very dirty
one from his pocket, and holding it from him at arm's
length; 'full of obserwations! Full of obserwations!
I like to know the news as well as any man,' said
Toby, slowly; folding it a little smaller, and putting
it in his pocket again; 'but it almost goes against the
grain with me to read a paper now. It frightens me
almost. I don't know what we poor people are com-
ing to. Lord send we may be coming to something
better in the New Year nigh upon us!'

  'Why, father, father!' said a pleasant voice, hard
by.

  But Toby, not hearing it, continued to trot back-
wards and forwards; musing as he went, and talking
to himself.

  'It seems as if we can't go right, or do right, or be
righted,' said Toby. 'I hadn't much schooling, my-
self, when I was young; and I can't make out whether
we have any business on the face of the earth, or not.
Sometimes I think we must have -- a little; and some-
times I think we must be intruding. I get so puzzled
sometimes that I am not even able to make up my
mind whether there is any good at all in us, or whether
we are born bad. We seem to be dreadful things;
we seem to give a deal of trouble; we are always being
complained of and guarded against. One way or
other, we fill the papers. Talk of a New Year!'
said Toby, mournfully. 'I can bear up as well as
another man at most times; better than a good many,
for I am as strong as a lion, and all men an't; but
supposing it should really be that we have no right
to a New Year -- supposing we really are intruding --'

  'Why, father, father!' said the pleasant voice again.

  Toby heard it this time; started; stopped; and
shortening his sight, which had been directed a long
way off as seeking for enlightenment in the very
heart of the approaching year, found himself face
to face with his own child, and looking close into
her eyes.

  Bright eyes they were. Eyes that would bear a
world of looking in, before their depth was fathomed.
Dark eyes, that reflected back the eyes which searched
them; not flashingly, or at the owner's will, but with
a clear, calm, honest, patient radiance, claiming kin-
dred with that light which Heaven called into being
Eyes that were beautiful and true, and beaming with
Hope. With Hope so young and fresh; with Hope
so buoyant, vigorous, and bright, despite the twenty
years of work and poverty on which they had looked
that they became a voice to Trotty Veck, and said.
'I think we have some business here -- a littlel'

  Trotty kissed the lips belonging to the eyes, and
squeezed the blooming face between his hands.

  'Why, Pet,' said Trotty. 'What's to do? I
didn't expect you to-day, Meg.'

  'Neither did I expect to come, father,' cried the