Had happened to distress him. "On which," said Bob, "for he is the pleasantest-spoken gentleman you ever heard, I told him. 'I am heartily sorry for it, Mr. Cratchit,' he said, 'and heartily sorry for your good wife.' By-the-bye , how he ever knew _that_
I don't know." "Knew what,

my dear?" "Why, that you were a good wife," replied Bob. "Everybody knows that," said Peter.
"Very well observed, my boy!" cried
Bob. "I hope they do. 'Heartily sorry,' he said, 'for your good wife. If I

can be of service to you in any way,' he said, giving me his card, 'that's where I live. Pray come to me.' Now, it wasn't," cried Bob, "for the sake of anything he might be able to do for us, so much as for his kind way, that this was quite delightful. It really seemed
as if he had known our Tiny Tim, and felt with us." "I'm sure he's a good
soul!" said Mrs. Cratchit.
"You would be sure of it, my dear," returned Bob, "if you saw and spoke to him. I shouldn't b