tionate adieu. In a little
while Bobby was flying over the rail, and at about eight o'clock,
reached B----.

The station master kindly permitted him to deposit his trunk in the
baggage room, and to leave it there for the remainder of the week.

Taking a dozen of the books from the trunk, and placing them in his
valise, he sallied out upon his mission. It must be confessed that his
heart was filled with a tumult of emotions. The battle of life was
before him. He was on the field, sword in hand, ready to plunge into
the contest. It was victory or defeat.

"March on, brave youth! the field of strife
With peril fraught before thee lies;
March on! the battle plain of life
Shall yield thee yet a glorious prize."

It was of no use to shrink then, even if he had felt disposed to do so.
He was prepared to be rebuffed, to be insulted, to be turned away from
the doors at which he should seek admission; but he was determined to
conquer.

He had reached a house at which he proposed to offer "The Wayfarer" for
sale. His heart went pit pat, pit pat, and he paused before the door.

"Now or never!" exclaimed he, as he swung open the garden gate, and
made his way up to the door.

He felt some misgivings. It was so new and strange to him that he
could hardly muster sufficient resolution to proceed farther. But his
irresolution was of only a moment's duration.

"Now or never!" and he gave a vigorous knock at the door.

It was opened by an elderly lady, whose physiognomy did not promise
much.

"Good morning, ma'am. Can I sell you a copy of 'The Wayfarer' to-day?
a new book, just published."

"No; I don't want none of your books. There's more pedlers round the
country now than you could shake a stick at in a month," replied the
old lady petulantly.

"It is a very interesting book, ma'am; has an excellent moral." Bobby
had read the preface, as I before remarked. "It will suit you, ma'am;
for you look just like a lady who wants to read something with a moral."

Bravo, Bobby! The lady concluded that her face had a moral expression,
and she was pleased with the idea.

"Let me see it;" and she asked Bobby to walk in and be seated, while
she went for her spectacles.

As she was looking over the book, our hero went into a more elaborate
recommendation of its merits. He was sure it would interest the young
and the old; it taught a good lesson; it had elegant engravings; the
type was large, which would s