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day in the week there are bird- and fancy-animal fairs in several 

 places in the East-end and in St. Giles. 



The condition of the poor has attracted much attention lately, 

 and the Commission recently appointed, and in which the Prince 

 of Wales took a prominent part, has after much investigation, 

 published a long and interesting report, giving much valuable 

 information respecting the housing of the poor, and their social 

 condition. 



I some years ago visited the East-end of London late in the 

 evening, and saw the kitchens, lodging-houses, and shops of the 

 poorest and lowest classes in the great city. The chief comfort 

 was always a large fire burning in a "thieves' kitchen," where the 

 poor creatures can dry themselves if wet, and get hot water for 

 making their tea or cooking their supper, before going upstairs to 

 bed. Sometimes a song is sung, or a story told, for the amuse- 

 ment of each other or strange visitors. There are small shops 

 open nearly, if not quite, all night, where penny-worths, or even 

 farthing-worths, of tea, sugar, bacon, etc., can be bought. These 

 small quantities are neatly put up in small paper "screws," ready 

 to be sold, and form just enough for a somewhat meagre meal. 

 Besides, this must really be an expensive way of buying. Had the 

 purchaser the means, a larger quantity would be a much cheaper 

 and better investment : but their whole life is from hand to mouth. 

 This population has no settled home. If they gain a few pence a 

 day they go to a lodging-house ; if not, they resort to the casual 

 ward of a workhouse, or sleep on the benches in the parks in the 

 summer nights. 



Many of these people are dock labourers. The docks open 

 very early in the morning, and if extra hands are wanted, there is 

 a rush among the unemployed to get first to the barriers when the 

 gates are opened. The Irish are always helpful to their friends ; 

 and in a great crowd, when one wants to get to the front, they 

 hoist him on their shoulders, and shove him sometimes over the 

 heads of those in front, so as to reach the first row. This was an 

 old practice in the gallery of a theatre, and was called " swimming 

 the gallery." They work very late unloading cargoes, and then 



