amusing journal-letters, and chose the best,--all about how George
and a friend went to the different places Dickens describes in some
of his funny books. I wish you could have seen how those dear girls
enjoyed it, and laughed till they cried over the dismay of the boys,
when they knocked at a door in Kingsgate Street, and asked if Mrs.
Gamp lived there. It was actually a barber's shop, and a little man,
very like Poll Sweedlepipes, told them 'Mrs. Britton was the nuss as
lived there now.' It upset those rascals to come so near the truth,
and they ran away because they couldn't keep sober."

The members of the club indulged in a general smile as they recalled
the immortal Sairey with "the bottle on the mankle-shelf," the
"cowcuber," and the wooden pippins. Then Anna continued, with an air
of calm satisfaction, quite sure now of her audience and herself,--

"It was a great success. So I went on, and when the journals were
done, I used to read other things, and picked up books for their
library, and helped in any way I could, while learning to know them
better and give them confidence in me. They are proud and shy, just
as we should be but if you REALLY want to be friends and don't mind
rebuffs now and then, they come to trust and like you, and there is
so much to do for them one never need sit idle any more. I won't
give names, as they don't like it, nor tell how I tried to serve
them, but it is very sweet and good for me to have found this work,
and to know that each year I can do it better and better. So I feel
encouraged and am very glad I began, as I hope you all are. Now, who
comes next?"

As Anna ended, the needles dropped and ten soft hands gave her a
hearty round of applause; for all felt that she had done well, and