great southern merchant--either in
Charleston, or Mobile, or New Orleans, I don't rightly know where--but
somewhere in the South. I'll tell you what, Captain, you're full of
business, and can't attend to her; I'll take her home with me, for she's
a dear little thing, and then I can inquire about her uncle, and send
her on by the first opportunity. Great pity such a blunder was made!"

Accordingly, Mr. Howard engaged a hack, which was piled up with little
Maggie's trunks, and he was about jumping in, when he was nearly run
over by his friend Russell. "Hallo, Howard!" "Is that you, Russell?" "No
one else; but what on earth are you doing with such a heap of trunks?
has a friend arrived?" "Only a little orphan, who came in one of our
ships; her mother died on board, and to crown the misfortune, they got
into the wrong vessel. They wanted to go to Charleston, S.C., where this
child has an uncle, Mr. Alan Roscoe, a rich merchant; so they came to
Charlestown by mistake. I'm taking the little creature home with me,
until I find out about him." "The luckiest thing in the world! Why, I
know Mr. Roscoe myself; he lives in Meeting-street; I became acquainted
with him in Charleston last Winter. But he has either given up business,
or intends to do so; he is in New York at this moment; I saw him the
other day at the Astor House, and he told me he had some thought of
removing to New York or Philadelphia." "In New York, is he? what a
piece of good fortune! How I wish I knew some one going on there. If I
were not so uncommonly busy, now that Mr. Field is away, I would take
her myself." "If you'd like it, my dear fellow, I'll take charge of the
child--you know I always have acquaintances going on to New York--I know
every one in the two cities, pretty much. I'll give her over to some
safe person, and then she'll be with her uncle to-night." "Thank you,
you're a real good soul; you can attend to it as well as I, of course.
And I am anxious to get the poor little thing to her relations as soon
as possible, so I'll be much obliged to you." "Good-by, then;--driver,
go as fast as your horses can carry you to the New York depot, for we're
rather late."

When they arrived, they were only a few minutes before the time. Mr.
Russell walked through the cars, looking on either side, but, to his
chagrin, he saw no one he knew. Any one who has ever sought for an
acquaintance, while the steam was puffing, and panting, and screeching,
as if in mortal p