Tom S^jrings Bach Parlour, 21 



flannel jackets with side pockets to ditto, in fact they might 

 have been termed ' dress-jackets,' and, in order to make the 

 tnit enseinhh more complete, the tonsor had been put in 

 requisition to decorate their nobs." 



Then, in the Answers to Correspondents : — 



*' Owen Swift did not marry a nun, nor Avas his father a 

 friar." " Frosty-faced Togo was his godfather." And 

 (nihil ad rem to ring) — " Our correspondent can have his 

 question about the young lady answered at the stage-door 

 of Drury Lane Theatre, but we advise him to go ivitli his 

 nose ireJl soaped''' 



''Phil Sampson himself again. — We are happy to announce 

 that the gallant Phil Sampson is not, as was reported, 

 knocked out of time : our correspondent had a loag of his 

 daddle last Sunday." 



Then, again, a benefit advertisement : — 



'•'• The gallant Jem Davis having lost his wife, begs to 

 announce his benefit for Tuesday next, and hopes his friends 

 will rally round him and dry up his tearsT 



One more specimen, and I have done. In the account of 

 the fight between Caunt and Bendigo, the reporter 

 (evidently old Vincent Dowling) A\T:*ites : — 



"And now let us record our gratitude to that good 

 Samaritan the Right Rev. Father the Lord Bishop of Bond 

 Street, who took us into his carriage and recruited us with 

 a twopenny buster and a slice of bees-wax, which, with a 

 flash from his pocket pistol, enabled us to survive and tell 

 our tale." 



There ! I have not seen any of the above in print for, I 

 suppose, five-and-twenty years, nor have I looked at Bell 

 (except for dates), as Bell will testify ; but I fancy that 

 any one who refers to the originals will not find me far out. 

 With all its oddity, BelVs Life had a strong and lasting in- 

 fluence over the London roughs who attended fights, and an 



