he slit. Only, she thought it queer that they
should not have put the spout in front of the pillar under the slit,
instead of behind it. She was still more impressed with this when,
after having twice got on the spout, she twice fell off in futile
efforts to reach round the pump with her small arms.

Baffled, but not defeated, Tottie waited till some one should pass who
could put the letter in for her, but in that retired angle no one
passed. Suddenly her sharp eyes espied a brickbat. She set it up on
end beside the pump, mounted it, stood on tip-toe, and, stretching her
little body to the very uttermost, tipped the letter safely in. The
brickbat tipped over at the same instant and sent her headlong to the
ground. But this was no novelty to Tottie. Regardless of the fall, she
gathered herself up, and, with the light heart of one who has gained a
victory in the performance of duty, ran off to her miserable home in the
back slums.

CHAPTER SEVEN.

PHIL BEGINS LIFE, AND MAKES A FRIEND.

Some time after the small tea-party described in our last chapter,
Philip Maylands was invested with all the dignity, privileges, and
emoluments of an "Out-door Boy Telegraph Messenger" in the General
Post-Office. He rejoiced in the conscious independence of one who earns
his own livelihood, is a burden to nobody, and has something to spare.
He enjoyed the privilege of wearing a grey uniform, of sitting in a
comfortable room with a huge fire in the basement of the office, and of
walking over a portion of London as the bearer of urgent and no doubt
all-important news. He also enjoyed a salary of seven shillings
sterling a week, and was further buoyed up with the hope of an increase
to eight shillings at the end of a year. His duties, as a rule, began
at eight each morning, and averaged nine hours.

We have said that out of his vast income he had something to spare.
This, of course, was not much, but owing to the very moderate charge for
lodging made by Solomon Flint--with whom and his sister he took up his
abode--the sum was sufficient to enable him, after a few months, to send
home part of his first year's earnings to his mother. He did this by
means of that most valuable institution of modern days a Post-Office
order, which enables one to send small sums of money, at a moderate
charge, and with perfect security, not only all over the kingdom, but
over the greater part of the known world.

It would have been interestin