The darkness was coming on rapidly, as a man with a basket on his head
turned the corner of a street in London. He cried loudly as he went,
"Herrings! three a penny, red herrings, good and cheap, at three a
penny!"
Soon he came close to me and commenced conversation.
"Governor, why can't I sell these herrings? I have walked two miles
along this dismal place, offering them; and nobody will buy."
"The people have no work at all to do, and they are starving; there
are plenty of houses round here that have not had a penny in them for
many a day," was my reply.
"Ah! then, governor," he rejoined, "if they haven't the half-pence,
they can't spend 'em, sure enough; so there's nothing for me but to
carry 'em elsewhere."
"How much will you take for the lot?" I inquired.
"I'll be glad to get four shillin'."
I put my hand in my pocket, produced that amount and transferred it to
him.
"Right! governor, thank'ee! what'll I do with 'em?" he said, as he
quickly transferred the coins to his own pocket.
"Go round this corner into the middle of the street, shout with all
your might,--
'HERRINGS FOR NOTHING!'
and give three to every man, woman, and child, that comes to you, till
the basket is emptied."
So he proceeded into the middle of the street, and went along
shouting, "Herrings for nothing! good red herrings for nothing!"
I stood at the corner to watch his progress; and soon he neared the
house where a tall woman stood at the first floor window looking out
upon him.
"Here you are missus," he cried, "herrings for nothing! come an' take
'em."
The woman shook her head unbelievingly, and left the window.
"Vot a fool!" said he; "but they won't all be so. Herrings for
nothing!" A little child came out to look at him, and he called to
her, "Here, my dear, take these in to your mother, and tell her how
cheap they are--herrings for nothing." But the child was afraid of
him and them, and ran in-doors. So, down the street, in the snow,
slush, and mud, went the cheap fish, the vender crying loudly as he
went, "Herrings for nothing!" and then adding savagely, "Oh, you
fools." Thus he reached the end of the street; and then turning to
retrace his steps, he continued his double cry as he came.
"Well," I said to him calmly, as he reached me at the corner.
"Well!" he repeated, "if yer think so! When yer gave me the money for
herrings as yer didn't want, I thought you was training for a lunatic
'sylum! Now I thinks all the people round here are fit company for
yer. But what'll I do with the herrings if yer don't want 'em, and
they won't have 'em?"
"We'll try again together," I replied; "I will go with you and we'll
both shout."
Into the road we both went, and he shouted once more, "Herrings for
nothing!"
Then I called out loudly also, "Will any one have some herrings for
tea?"
They heard my voice, and they knew it well; and they came out at once,
in twos and threes and sixes, men and women and children, all striving
to reach the welcome food. As fast as I could take them from the
basket, I handed three to each eager applicant, until all were
speedily disposed of. When the basket was empty, the hungry crowd that
had none was far greater than that which had been supplied; but they
were too late, there were no more "herrings for nothing!"
Foremost among the disappointed was a tall woman of a bitter tongue,
who began vehemently, "Why haven't I got any? aint I as good as they?
aint my children as hungry as theirs?"
Before I had time to reply, the vender stretched out his arm toward
her, saying, "Why, governor, that's the very woman as I offered 'em to
first, and she turned up her nose at 'em."
"I didn't," she rejoined passionately, "I didn't believe you meant
it!"
"Yer goes without for yer unbelief!" he replied. "Good-night, and
thank'ee, governor!"
I told this story upon the sea-beach, to a great crowd gathered there
on a summer Sabbath day. They looked at each other; first smiled, then
laughed outright, and at length shouted with laughter.
It was my time then; and I said, "You cannot help laughing at the
quaint story, which is strictly true. But are you sure you would not
have done as they did, and been as unbelieving as they? Their unbelief
cost them only a hungry stomach a little longer; but what may your
unbelief cost you? God has sent his messengers to you for many years
to offer