 with the view of humanely terminating his wretched life; how, he
determined to wait three days and see whether the bird revived; how, before half
the time was out the bird did revive; and how he went on reviving and picking up
his appetite and good looks until he gradually became what - »what you see him
now, sir!« - Tim would say, glancing proudly at the cage. And with that, Tim
would utter a melodious chirrup, and cry »Dick;« and Dick, who, for any sign of
life he had previously given, might have been a wooden or stuffed representation
of a blackbird indifferently executed, would come to the side of the cage in
three small jumps, and, thrusting his bill between the bars, would turn his
sightless head towards his old master - and at that moment it would be very
difficult to determine which of the two was the happier, the bird or Tim
Linkinwater.
    Nor was this all. Everything gave back, besides, some reflection of the
kindly spirit of the brothers. The warehousemen and porters were such sturdy,
jolly fellows, that it was a treat to see them. Among the shipping-announcements
and steam-packet lists which decorated the counting-house walls, were designs
for alms-houses, statements of charities, and plans for new hospitals. A
blunderbuss and two swords hung above the chimney-piece, for the terror of
evil-doers; but the blunderbuss was rusty and shattered, and the swords were
broken and edgeless. Elsewhere, their open display in such a condition would
have raised a smile; but, there, it seemed as though even violent and offensive
weapons partook of the reigning influence, and became emblems of mercy and
forbearance.
    Such thoughts as these, occurred to Nicholas very strongly, on the morning
when he first took possession of the vacant stool, and looked about him, more
freely and at ease than he had before enjoyed an opportunity of doing. Perhaps
they encouraged and stimulated him to exertion, for, during the next two weeks,
all his spare hours, late at night and early in the morning, were incessantly
devoted to acquiring the mysteries of book-keeping and some other forms of
mercantile account. To these, he applied himself with such steadiness and
perseverance that, although he brought no greater amount of previous knowledge
to the subject than certain dim recollections of two or three very long sums
entered into a cyphering-book at school, and relieved for parental inspection by
the effigy of a fat swan tastefully flourished by the writing-master's own hand,
he
