londed 'Lunnon, o' that I had about mi rags wur mi railway ticket, an' three an' ninepence-halfp'ny, an' an owd knife, an' two ounces o' 'bacco, twisted in a bit o' papper; but I thought th' brass would howd out weel enough, as we had to come whoam again th' next mornin'. Well, we powler't up an' down Lunnon streets till I geet as dateless as a lapstone; an', o' at once, o' somehow, I lost these chaps, an' I never see'd noather top or tail on 'em again. I kept axin' folk if they'd sin aught on 'em,-but they did nought but laugh at me. Well, thou knows, I began o' thinkin' it wur up wi' th' owd foo; an' I geet quite down i'th' mouth. In a bit I spied a cook's-shop, in a nook; an' in I went an' geet a shillin's-'oth o' potato pie, an' nine-pen'oth o' lobscouse, an' a lump o' cheese an' brade, an' a quart o' ale to 't; an' then I thought to mysel- Come, I can howd out till mornin', now, as how th' cat jumps!' So, off I set to see this exhibition; an' I maunder't up an' down amung th' rook till I geet as mazy as a tup. An' by th' mass, owd lad, I wur some fain to get out o' that hole! It wur war (worse) than being in a whisket full o' rattons! At last, neet coom on, an' it began o' rainin'; an' I thought to mysel', 'By th' mon, I mun hole somewheer till mornin' or

else I'se be ta'en up, or some lumber!'

So

I reckon't mi brass up, an' I fund that I'd just fourpence-hawp'ny left out o' th' stock. 'Come, I's do!' thinks I. An' wi' that I axed a policeman if he could tell me wheer I could leet o' chep lodgin's; an' I towd him what brass I had. An' then he took me up one street, an' down another, till we coom to th' end of a ginnel 'at looked as dark as a breast-hee coal-pit: an' he said, 'Sitho; knock at yon third dur, an' tell 'em 'at I've sent tho,-an' thou'll be o' reet.' So, when I geet to th' house, I fund (found) a yollolookin' sort of a chap rear't up again th' durcheek,-an he stare't at me,-an' I stare't at him; an' I don't know what he thought o' me, but I noather liked him nor th' hole 'at he live't in. But, thou knows, it wur rainin' like mad, an' I're gettin' weet, an' I didn't care wheer it wur, so as I geet under cover till dayleet; an' I said to him, 'Maister, dun yo keep lodgin's here?' An' he said, 'Ay!' An I said, 'What mak are they?' An' he said, 'Well,-thou can have a fither-bed for sixpence or thou can have a flock-bed for fourpence or thou can lie on a wood bench for twopence,-or thou may ston again a wole (wall) for a penny.' 'That's just about my size, owd brid,' said I,-'I'll have a pen'oth!' So he put out his hond for th' brass, an

he said, 'Come forrud!' An' then he took me into a long, dark reawm (room), wheer there wur a hawp'ny candle let (lighted). Eh, it wur a smart cote! By th' mon, a pigsty's an angel to 't, for a stink! An' there wur folk lyin' about i' o' nooks an' cornersan' bonny baigles (beagles, dogs) they wur, -as fur as th' leet went! As I glendurt round, I thought to mysel', 'By th' mass, this is bad to bide,-but I'll howd out till mornin'!' Well, he showed me th' wole that I had to rear mysel' up to; an' theer he left me. There wur a lot moore again th' same wole, but I kept mysel' to mysel' as weel as I could, for I didn't like th' look o' their clooas. Well, thou knows, there wur a thick rope ran i'th' front o' this wole o' mine, fro' one end to tother, about breast-hee; an' when we geet tire't o' th' wole we could rest upo' th' rope. I tried th' wole a good while; but when it geet past midneet, I couldn't prop my een oppen no lunger, so I leant forrud upo' th' rope, an' fell fast asleep. Well, now, just tak notice o' th' upshot! It seems that when they wanten to teem th' hole (empty the room) in a mornin', they letten this rope goo, an' if there happens to be onybody upo' th' rope they gwon too. Well, when six o'clock i'th' mornin' coom, I wur sound asleep; an' when they leet th' end

o' th' rope goo, I shot reet forrud, th' yed (head) first amung a lot o' folk that wur lyin' asleep, i'th' dark, upo' th' floor; an' eh, by th' mon, thou should ha' sin what a dust there wur kicked up i' that hole in about a minute! I thought I'd fo'n down a coal-pit, at first; an' afore I could gether mysel' together, there wur a great hondful o' hard fingers coom bang amung my een! By th' mass, that wakken't me up,-an' I began o' lettin' fly, reet an' left, amung th' rook, first wi' my neighve (fist), an' then wi' my shoon, -an' I know it towd, now an' then, for first one an' then another set up a yeawl (howl), like a lad 'at's fund a lump o' toffy. Th' best on't wur that nobody knew who they wur hittin', it wur so dark. Well, at end of o', I wriggle't out at 'th' dur-hole; an' I left 'em feightin' amung theirsels; an' I darsay they thought they were hommerin' me when I'd getten two or three streets off. . . . Well, -I weshed my face at a pump, an' I geet a pint of ale, an' went straight to the station an' I londed awhoam th' same day, wi' nought i' my pocket, but two black een An' that's th' end o' my Lunnon do!.. Here, Betty, I'll have an odd gill!"

"It looks very hard

To be brought into war'd,

To be clemmed, an' do th' best 'at one con.'

JONE O' GREENFIELD.

[Time, winter evening.-Scene, kitchen of the old inn.-Persons, TWITTER, OWD SAM, AND JONE o' WOBBLER'S.-BEN O' KITTER'S looks in at the doorway.]

UN yo want ony sond, Betty?"
"Ay; sitho; put two-pen'oth

into this can.

...

How's yo'r

Sally?"

doin' very weel."

"What is it?"

"As fine a lad as ever I set een on!" "Thou'll have a bonny stock in a bit." "Th' moore an' th' merrier, Betty! I wouldn't care if I'd a hundred, -as lung as