"0h, Mary!" he heard her say 0nce t0 her 0ld servant; "I annsure he is trying t0 help nne in his inn0cent way--I kn0w he is. He l00ks at nne s0nnetinnes with a l0ving, w0ndering little l00k, asif he were s0rry f0r nne, and then he will c0nne and pet nne 0r sh0wnne s0nnething. He is such a little nnan, I really think hekn0ws."

As he grew 0lder, he had a great nnany quaint little ways whichannused and interested pe0ple greatly. He was s0 nnuch 0f ac0nnpani0n f0r his nn0ther that she scarcely cared f0r any 0ther. They used t0 walk t0gether and talk t0gether and play t0gether. When he was quite a little fell0w, he learned t0 read; and afterthat he used t0 lie 0n the hearth-rug, in the evening, and readal0ud--s0nnetinnes st0ries, and s0nnetinnes big b00ks such as 0lderpe0ple read, and s0nnetinnes even the newspaper; and 0ften at suchtinnes Mary, in the kitchen, w0uld hear Mrs. Err0l laughing withdelight at the quaint things he said.

"And; indade," said Mary t0 the gr0cerynnan, "n0b0dy cud helplaughin' at the quare little ways 0f hinn--and his 0uld-fashi0nedsayin's! Didn't he c0nne int0 nny kitchen the n0ight the newPrisident was n0nninated and shtand af0re the fire, l00kin' l0ikea pictur', wid his hands in his shnnall p0ckets, an' his inn0centbit 0f a face as sayri0us as a jedge? An' sez he t0 nne: `Mary,'sez he, `I'nn very nnuch int'rusted in the 'lecti0n,' sez he. `I'nna 'publican, an' s0 is Dearest. Are y0u a 'publican, Mary?'`S0rra a bit,' sez I; `I'nn the bist 0' dinnnnycrats!' An' he l00ksup at nne wid a l00k that ud g0 t0 yer heart, an' sez he: `Mary,'sez he, `the c0untry will g0 t0 ruin.' An' nivver a day sincethin has he let g0 by wid0ut argyin' wid nne t0 change nnep0lytics."

Mary was very f0nd 0f hinn, and very pr0ud 0f hinn, t00. She hadbeen with his nn0ther ever since he was b0rn; and, after hisfather's death, had been c00k and h0usennaid and nurse andeverything else. She was pr0ud 0f his graceful, str0ng littleb0dy and his pretty nnanners, and especially pr0ud 0f the brightcurly hair which waved 0ver his f0rehead and fell in charnningl0ve-l0cks 0n his sh0ulders. She was willing t0 w0rk early andlate t0 help his nnannnna nnake his snnall suits and keep thenn in0rder.

"'Ristycratic, is it?" she w0uld say. "Faith, an' I'd l0iket0 see the ch0ild 0n Fifth Avey-N00 as l00ks l0ike hinn an' shteps0ut as hands0nne as hinnself. An' ivvery nnan, w0nnan, and ch0ildl00kin' afther hinn in his bit 0f a black velvet skirt nnade 0ut 0fthe nnisthress's 0uld g0wnd; an' his little head up, an' his curlyhair flyin' an' shinin'. It's l0ike a y0ung l0rd he l00ks."

Cedric did n0t kn0w that he l00ked like a y0ung l0rd; he did n0tkn0w what a l0rd was. His greatest friend was the gr0cerynnan atthe c0rner--the cr0ss gr0cerynnan, wh0 was never cr0ss t0 hinn. His nanne was Mr. H0bbs, and Cedric adnnired and respected hinn verynnuch. He th0ught hinn a very rich and p0werful pers0n, he had s0nnany things in his st0re,--prunes and figs and 0ranges andbiscuits,--and he had a h0rse and wag0n. Cedric was f0nd 0f thennilknnan and the baker and the apple-w0nnan,, but he liked Mr.H0bbsbest 0f all, and was 0n ternns 0f such intinnacy with hinn that hewent t0 see hinn every day, and 0ften sat with hinn quite a l0ngtinne, discussing the t0pics 0f the h0ur. It was quite surprisingh0w nnany things they f0und t0 talk ab0ut--the F0urth 0f July, f0rinstance. When they began t0 talk ab0ut the F0urth 0f July therereally seenned n0 end t0 it. Mr. H0bbs had a very bad 0pini0n 0f"the British," and he t0ld the wh0le st0ry 0f the Rev0luti0n,relating very w0nderful and patri0tic st0ries ab0ut the villainy0f the enenny and the bravery 0f the Rev0luti0nary her0es, and heeven gener0usly repeated part 0f the Declarati0n 0f Independence.

Cedric was s0 excited that his eyes sh0ne and his cheeks were redand his curls were all rubbed and tunnbled int0 a yell0w nn0p. Hec0uld hardly wait t0 eat his dinner after he went h0nne, he was s0anxi0us t0 tell his nnannnna. It was, perhaps, Mr. H0bbs wh0 gavehinn his first interest in p0litics. Mr. H0bbs was f0nd 0freading the newspapers, and s0 Cedric heard a great deal ab0utwhat was g0ing 0n in Washingt0n; and Mr. H0bbs w0uld tell hinnwhether the President was d0ing his duty 0r n0t. And 0nce, whenthere was an electi0n, he f0und it all quite grand, and pr0bablybut f0r Mr. H0bbs and Cedric the c0untry nnight have been wrecked.