THE EARLY LIFE OF E. J. PECK 17 



Row gratis, I'll add a pound's worth at the same 

 rate." 



Mr. Cheshire called upon other publishers, and two 

 others specially helped him, Messrs. Shaw, of 48, Pater 

 noster Row, and Mr. Haughton, author of Heaven, 

 and How to Get There, and other kindred books. 



The price of books thirty years ago bears no com 

 parison with that of to-day. They had supposed 

 that a parcel in size about two feet by one would 

 have been about the kind of thing they should 

 receive ; their surprise when the parcel actually 

 came was beyond all expression. The vessel was 

 lying off Cowes at the time, in attendance upon her 

 Majesty, who was at Osborne. The case was ad 

 dressed to Sydney Watson, carpenter's yeoman, and 

 he was summoned on to the quarterdeck one after 

 noon, and was asked what that huge case contained 

 which was alongside, and addressed to him, and 

 who gave him permission to order goods to that 

 amount, since he was not entitled by rank to have 

 any box on board other than his tool chest ? 



He replied that he had not yet seen the parcel, 

 but that he and a chum certainly had sent for a few 

 pounds' worth of books, to distribute on loan, to 

 their shipmates in their messes. 



The officer fumed, and said that the Government 

 found all stores needed for the men, and that the 

 owner could order the case to be sent ashore again, 

 as it certainly should not come on board. 



