OR, HOW I BECAME A FLORIST. 89 



them, and laid them on the kitchen-table, and with a slip of 

 paper and a pencil I made a list of. the flowers, as far as 

 I knew their names, with the number of dozens of each 

 sort. The next morning I was at the depot, bright and 

 early. On entering the cars, I looked about for my Mr. 

 McTernan, and, finding him readily, I bade him "Good-morn- 

 ing," and took a seat near by. After a while I ventured to 

 take out my list, and asked if he would be so kind as to tell 

 me what such a list of flowers would be worth. 



" That depends, ma'am, whether they are first-class or not, 

 if they aint first-class they aint worth anything.' 7 



" Look at them," said I, " and tell me." 



Carefully turning over the contents of my box, he looked 

 at them a while, then said, laconically, " Them's good 

 enough ! " 



Delighted to find that my flowers were up to the market- 

 standard, I ventured to ask one more favor of him. 



"Would Mr. McTernan please fill out the price on my 

 list, so that I might know what they were really worth in 

 the market?" 



Putting on an old pair of silver-bowed spectacles, he 

 studied the list for a few moments and then handed it back to 

 me, saying, " I'll tell ye the price, but ye must write it 

 yourself; my hands aint used to writing." 



So I took out my pencil, and, while the train stopped 

 at a way-station, hastily wrote down the figures he gave me. 



When it was done, it read somewhat in this way : 



