These he deposited on the counter
without order or arrangement, muttering, as he did so, that the old man
could sort 'em out in the morning to suit himself. The things being all
brought from the street, he had only to close the shutters, which
operation was soon effected, and our hungry friend on his way home.
The next morning Mr. De Younge (for the father of Kinch rejoiced in that
aristocratic cognomen) was early at his receptacle for old clothes, and it
being market-day, he anticipated doing a good business. The old man
leisurely took down the shutters, assorted and hung out the old clothes,
and was busily engaged in sweeping out the store, when his eye fell upon
the paper dropped by Mr. Stevens the evening previous.
"What's dis 'ere," said he, stooping to pick it up; "bill or suthin' like
it, I s'pose. What a trial 'tis not to be able to read writin'; don't know
whether 'tis worth keeping or not; best save it though till dat ar boy of
mine comes, _he_ can read it--he's a scholar. Ah, de children now-a-days
has greater 'vantages than deir poor fathers had."
Whilst he was thus soliloquizing, his attention was arrested by the noise
of footsteps in the other part of the shop, and looking up, he discerned
the tall form of Mr. Walters.
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