'D--n it, an' hasn't _she_ hed any all day! Ye mustn't do that agin, sonny; ye must come whether ye've money or no; times is hard, but, I swear, I kin give _ye_ a loaf any time.' 'I thank you, sir,' I said, advancing from the doorway where I had stood unobserved--'I will pay you;' and taking a roll of bills from my pocket, I gave him one. 'You know what they want--send it to them at once.' The man stared at me a moment in amazement, then said: 'An' do ye know 'em, sir?' 'No, I'm just going there.' 'Well, do, sir; they're bad off; ye kin do real good there, no mistake.' 'I'll see,' I replied; and taking the bread in one hand and the little boy by the other, I started again for his mother's. I was always a rapid walker, but I had difficulty in keeping up with the little fellow as he trotted along at my side. We soon stopped at the door of an old, weather-worn building, which I saw by the light of the street-lamp was of dingy brick, three stories high, and hermetically sealed by green board-shutters. It sat but one step above the ground, and a dim light which came through the low basement-windows, showed that even its cellar was occupied. My little guide rang the bell, and in a moment a panel of the door opened, and a shrill voice asked: 'Who's there?' 'It's only me, ma'am; please let me in.' 'What, _you_, Franky, out so late as this!' exclaimed the woman, undoing the chain which held the door. As she was about closing it she caught sight of me, and eyeing me for a moment, said: 'Walk in, sir.' As I complied with the invitation, she added, pointing to a room opening from the hall: 'Step in there, sir.' 'He's come to see mother, ma'am,' said the little boy. 'You can't see _her_, sir, she's sick, and don't see company any more.' 'I would see her for only a moment, madam.' 'But she can't see nobody now, sir.' 'Oh! mother would like to see him very much, ma'am; he's a very good gentleman, ma'am,' said the child, in a pleading, winning tone. The real object of my visit seemed to break upon the woman, for, making a low courtesy, she said: 'Oh! she _will_ be glad to see you, sir; she's very bad off, very bad indeed;' and she at once led the way to the basement stairway. The woman was about forty, with a round, full form, a red, bloated face, and eyes which looked as if they had not known a wink of sleep for years. She wore a dirty lace-cap, trimmed with gaudy colors, and a tawdry red and black dress, laid off in large squares like the map of Philadelphia. It was very low in the neck--remarkably so for the season--and disclosed a scorched, florid skin, and a rough, mountainous bosom.