The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated MonthlyVarious
General
The Strand Magazine, Vol. 01, No. 05, May 1891: An Illustrated Monthly
Various
English literature -- Periodicals; Short stories, English -- Periodicals
The tout seemed to know the history of every person whose photograph
was displayed in the show-case, and he was rattling it off to us
at a rate which precluded any possibility of storing it up in our
memory, when a slight diversion was created by a coster's barrow,
drawn by a smart little pony, being driven up to the front of the
photographer's. The driver was Mr. Higgins, we learnt, and the other
occupants of the barrow were Mrs. Higgins and the infant son and heir
to the Higgins' estate, which was reputed to be something considerable
in the costermongers' way, as was evidenced by the fact that Mr.
Higgins was enabled to keep a pony to draw his barrow. Mrs. Higgins
had determined that 'Enery--_ætat_ one year and eight months--should
have his photograph taken and afterwards be glorified in a coloured
enlargement. Mr. Higgins had assented to this being done regardless
of expense. It was a weighty responsibility for the photographer, who
always considered the taking of babies was not his strong point. But he
reflected upon the increased fame which would accrue to his business if
he was successful, and he determined to do it or perish in the attempt.
[Illustration: "YOUNG HIGGINS."]
He made hasty preparations by selecting the most tempting stick of
toffy he could find in the sweet-stuff window, and the tout was
instructed to procure from a neighbouring toy shop a doll, a rattle, a
penny trumpet, and other articles dear to the juvenile mind.
The youthful Higgins was duly placed in a chair, behind which Mrs.
Higgins was ensconced with a view to assisting the photographer by
preserving a proper equilibrium in the sitter, and also ensuring
confidence in the infantile mind.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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