56 EEMINISCENCES OF THE LEWS. 



more anxious females accosted her, and insisted 

 on knowing whose child he was, saying he 

 looked Hke a little lord. Celery chuckled, 

 pursed up her mouth, and answered mys- 

 teriously, "No, ma'am, he ain't a lord yet; 

 but there is no knowing into what he may 

 not turn — he might become a duke some day." 

 Thus, you may see, Celery had ways of her own, 

 and she expressed herself oddly. No doubt, 

 her nursery education had been attended to, 

 but her English had been neglected. 



Mrs. Malaprop's confusion of the Queen's 

 English and of ideas was not greater than 

 Celery's ; and these, added to the mystery of 

 her communications, rather obscured the mean- 

 ing of her quaint words. She was a very 

 excellent woman, I believe, sincerely good and 

 religious; and thought it right to keep a 

 missionary box, into which she was always 

 soliciting every one to put something. She 

 was trying R. M. very hard one day, in vain ; 

 but at last she burst forth, " Now, dear Mr. M., 

 do drop in something; there is no knowing 

 where it is goiug to, or when it will come back 

 to you." No one has yet been able to fathom 

 the profundity of this speech. 



But dear old Celery had yet other accomplish- 

 ments, which must not be forgotten. In the 



