HALF HOURS. 237 



with the lofty character of his apparent mental hallucination, and 

 with his imperturbable self-conceit, and, though I had long ere this 

 stage of our interview penetrated his incognito, I had not nerve to 

 proclaim my discovery manfully; so I contented myself with affirming 

 that I really could not afford to lay out six shillings on the purchase 

 of his book, and was on the point of motioning him to the door, 

 when he proved himself to be perfectly ready to meet this objection, 

 by pulling out of the dexter pocket of his forlorn-looking outer 

 garment, a smaller brochure, " a sample of the first,'' price only one 

 shilling, which I might peruse till he did himself the pleasure to call 

 again, and return if not approved of but of so mortifying a result he 

 would not allow himself to entertain the slightest apprehension. As I 

 was by no means desirous of his return, and was only anxious to get rid 

 of him quietly, I readily entered into one part of this compromise, but 

 paid him the shilling on the spot, and told him I was going out of 

 town ; and to show my respect I accompanied him myself to the 

 street door : a quick bow and exit ! But my attention in this particu- 

 lar, which I own was not purely disinterested, nor, as the sequel 

 will prove, without good reason, brought me within reach of a new 

 petitioner, the Scylla I had not escaped threw me upon Charybdis. 

 A wretched-looking youth, with famine and diffidence in his eye, 

 and hectic on his cheek, another " wanderer of the world of letters," 

 was lying in wait, and came forward at the opening of the door as 

 the other retreated. He presented a parcel neatly folded and 

 directed to my address ; sealed too with a laurelled lyre. I knew it 

 was a book I yet, notwithstanding my recent encounter, I had not the 

 heart to refuse it a wistful wild look from a pair of beautifully 

 mournful eyes, and a few muttered sounds of indistinct supplication, 

 and the unfortunate vanished. I returned to the girls, and proceeded 

 to the opening of my parcel, without one yearning after my unfinished 

 breakfast, so much had I been affected by the legible misery and 

 despair imprinted upon the haunting countenance of the spectre who 

 presented it. A slip of paper first attracted my attention, on which 

 was written in a delicate clear hand, " The unhappy man who offers 

 this book for sale entreats your candid perusal of it. A wife and 

 six children are dependent on his literary efforts for support. (Un- 

 happy they ! thought I. But surely this stripling cannot be the hus- 

 band and the father?) If you think it worthy, the price, half a crown, 

 may not materially inconvenience you to part with, and would be 

 most gratefully received. If otherwise, the applicant only begs that 

 the book may be returned unsoiled, and will call again to-morrow." 



It was signed James M* . We found what the ladies call 



some really sweet poems, which in the days of Herrick would have 

 immortalised their author moral, sentimental, amatory, all bearing 

 marks of taste, and refined cultivation ; and their perusal, inter- 

 spersed with reflections on the prevailing mania which beguiles 

 so many juvenile aspirants to abandon bread-winning handicrafts 

 for the ungrateful service of the nymphs of Helicon, who are noto- 

 rious for never giving board-wages, had quite obliterated the 

 Dominie, and our preceding flutter. The girls were each in 

 imagination cutting out frocks and petticoats for the six children 

 M. M. No. 3. T 



