The Merry Past 



humour. The contending parties were reconciled, 

 and the idea of a divorce abandoned. 



Though women were more plain-spoken, they were 

 more bound by social rules and customs than in 

 these times of female emancipation. Nevertheless, 

 they had a good deal of amusement and pleasure, 

 which they enjoyed with whole-hearted zest. 



Whilst the wives and daughters of the mercantile 

 class did not then as now aspire to entering fashion- 

 able society, which was irrevocably closed against 

 them, they had plenty of amusements of their own, 

 which were more or less copies of those in vogue 

 at the West End of the town. This is well expressed 

 in some old lines : 



Ah ! I loves life and all the joys it yields ! 



Says Madam Fussock warm from Spitallields. 



** Bone Tonis^^ the space 'twixt Saturday and Monday ; 



Tis riding in a one-horse shay on Sunday ;. 



'Tis drinking tea on Sunday afternoons 



At Bagnigge Wells with china and gilt spoons ! 



Tis laying by our clogs, red coats, and pattens 



To dance cow-tillions all in silks and satins ! 



The annual ball, given by the dancing-master who 

 taught the rich cit's daughters, was always a great 

 occasion for the display of wonderful and stupendous 

 toilettes. A Frenchman named Le Mercier was a 

 most popular teacher of dancing, and by way of ad- 

 vertising himself once gave his annual ball in the great 

 room at the London Tavern, which was crowded to 

 excess. Many City families who in the ordinary 

 course of events could never have gained admission 



270 



