32 The Cai^y. 



bird as he does of giving eightpence for a pound of 

 steak to frizzle with his tea. The late disastrous crisis 

 through the want of cotton has dealt a hard blow to 

 the bird-fanciers in this locality, many of whom were 

 of course entirely out of work. Very pitiable was it 

 to see a man or lad obliged to part with the pets of his 

 household through sheer want, and then, when the 

 birds were gone, selling the empty cage as well. I 

 myself lately, more out of charity than because I really 

 wanted it, gave a poor lad from Stockport five shillings 

 for his cage, after he had sold his birds in the market, 

 to support his family, who were literally starving for 

 the want of food. Still it is astonishing to see the 

 numbers yet kept. In almost every other house, I had 

 nearly said in every back street in Manchester, when 

 the cottage-doors were open, you might see breeding 

 cages hanging on the walls, and hear their occupants 

 enlivening the gloomy desolation around. During the 

 darkest phase of the distress a poor woman, whom I was 

 visiting in order to relieve, and who nevertheless was in 

 great distress herself, on my pointing to a canary which 

 hung in what had once been a very handsome cage, and 

 inquiring how she could afford to keep a bird, when she 

 could not keep herself, replied, with tears in her eyes, 

 "Ah! sir, that bird was my poor husband's. Poor 

 fellow, he gave fifteen shillings for it, and five for the 

 bird, which I thought sadly much of at the time ; but 

 it was his only hobby, and I keep it for his sake. The 

 poor thing is getting old now, and does not sing so well 

 as it did; but I would sooner part with anything I have 

 in the house than it or the cage." I admired her for 



