were rapidly nearing Charles Street, when I noticed on my right hand a
large, dilapidated frame building, standing in solitary isolation a few
feet back from the highway, and presenting the appearance of a
veritable Old Curiosity Shop.

A business was carried on here in second hand furniture of the poorest
description, and the object of the proprietor seemed to have been to
collect about him all sorts of worn-out commodities, and objects which
were utterly unmarketable. Everybody who lived in Toronto at the time
indicated will remember the establishment, which, as I subsequently
learned, was owned and carried on by a man named Robert Southworth,
familiarly known to his customers as "Old Bob." I had no sooner arrived
abreast of the gateway leading into the yard immediately adjoining the
building to the southward, than my eyes rested upon something which
instantly caused them to open themselves to their very widest capacity,
and constrained me to signal the driver to stop; which he had no sooner
done than I alighted from my seat and requested him to proceed on his
journey without me. The driver eyed me suspiciously, and evidently
regarded me as an odd customer, but he obeyed my request, and drove on
northward, leaving me standing in the middle of the street.

From my elevated seat on the roof of the 'bus, I had caught a hurried
glimpse of a commonplace-looking little marble figure, placed on the
top of a pedestal, in the yard already referred to, where several other
figures in marble, wood, bronze, stucco and what not, were exposed for
sale.

The particular figure which had attracted my attention was about
fifteen inches in height, and represented a little child in the
attitude of prayer. Anyone seeing it for the first time would probably