that, once a week, a vegetable-and-flower-cart was driven through this
particular street, on its way to a more prosperous neighborhood, and
on a few red-letter days, a flower, or a sprig, or even a root
sometimes fell out of the back of the cart; and these two little
children were sitting there in hope, with their hands full of soil,
ready to plant anything which might by some golden chance fall that
way, in their secret garden of oyster shells.

This seems to me as charming a fairy tale as any that our books
can supply.

On another occasion, Mrs. Glover was collecting the pennies for the
Holiday Fund Savings Bank from the children who came weekly to her
house. She noticed on three consecutive Mondays that one little lad
deliberately helped himself to a new envelope from her table. Not
wishing to frighten or startle him, she allowed this to continue for
some weeks, and then one day, having dismissed the other children, she
asked him quite quietly why he was taking the envelopes. At first he
was very sulky, and said: "I need them more than you do." She quite
agreed this might be, but reminded him that, after all, they belonged
to her. She promised, however, that if he would tell her for what
purpose he wanted the envelopes, she would endeavor to help him in the
matter. Then came the astonishing announcement: "I am building a
navy." After a little more gradual questioning, Mrs. Glover drew from
the boy the information that the Borough water carts passed through
the side street once a week, flushing the gutter; that then the
envelope ships were made to sail on the water and pass under the
covered ways which formed bridges for wayfarers and tunnels for the
"navy." Great was the excitement when the ships passed out of sight
and were recognized as they arrived safely at the other end. Of