224 "^he Book of Cats. 



of a second floor, In an open and respectable quarter 

 of the town, and his lodgings were the perfection of 

 comfort and cleanliness in an humble sphere. It 

 was late in the evening when I reached the house ; 

 I found the ' carrier ' and his family preparing the 

 supper. In a large morocco leather easy chair sat 

 the Cats'-meat carrier himself ; his blue apron and 

 black shiny hat had disappeared, and he wore a 

 ' dress ' coat and a black satin waistcoat instead. 

 His wife, w^ho was a remarkably pretty woman, and 

 of very attractive manners, wore a ' Dolly Varden * 

 cap, placed jauntily on the back of her head, and 

 a drab merino dress. The room was cosily car- 

 peted ; and in one corner stood a mahogany 

 * crib,' with cane-work sides, in which one of the 

 children was asleep. On the table was a clean white 

 table-cloth, and the room was savoury with the 

 steaks and mashed potatoes that were cooking on 

 the fire. Indeed, I have never yet seen greater 

 comfort in the abodes of the poor. The cleanliness 

 and wholesomeness of the apartment were the more 

 striking from the unpleasant associations connected 

 with the calling. 



" It is believed by one who has been engaged at 

 the business for 25 years, that there are from 900 to 

 1,000 horses, averaging 2 cwt. of meat each, little 



