he boy down upon the
sidewalk. The girl said that she was very much obliged to him, _indeed_;
and then Mr. George went on.

Just then a small and ragged boy held out his hand, and with a most
woe-begone expression of countenance and a piteous tone of voice, begged
Mr. George to give him a few pennies, to keep him from starving. Mr.
George took no notice of him, but passed on. A moment afterward he
turned round to look at the boy again. He saw him take a top out of his
pocket, and go to spinning it upon the sidewalk, and then, suddenly
seeing some other boys, the young rogue caught up his top and ran after
them with shouts of great hilarity and glee. He was an impostor; Mr.
George knew this when he refused to give him any money.

[Illustration: THE PIER.]

Mr. George then went on again. He came, at length, to the great gates
which led to the pier. There was a man just within the gate, walking to
and fro, near the door of a sort of office, or lodge, which he kept
there. Mr. George attempted to open the gate.

"Please show your ticket, sir," said he.

Mr. George took out his ticket and gave it to the porter, whereupon the
porter opened the gate and let him in.

Mr. George found himself under an enormous roof, which spread itself
like a vast canopy over his head, and extended from side to side across
the pier. Under this vast shed laborers were wheeling boxes and bales of
merchandise to and fro, while small steam engines of curious forms and
incessant activity were at work hoisting coal on board the ships from
lighters alongside, and in other similar operations. There were two
monstrous steamships lying at this pier, one on each side. Mr. George
turned toward the one on the left. There was a long flight of steps
leading up from the pier to the decks of this ship. It was formed by a
staging, which extended from the pier to the bulwarks of the ship, like
a stair-case, with a railing on each side. Mr. George ascended these
steps to the bulwarks, and thence descended by a short flight of steps
to the deck itself, and then went along the deck till he came to the
door leading to the cabins.

He found within quite a number of cabins, arranged on different floors,
like the different stories of a house. These cabins were very
resplendent with gilding and carving, and were adorned with curtains
and mirrors on every side. They presented to Mr. George, as he walked
through them, a very imposing spectacle. Along the sides of the