PATCHWORK PRINT 



to go on to minion and finish up with ruby. This was 

 a nice state of affairs, but they assured me that it 

 looked all right. And such type, too I — battered and 

 old. However, perhaps it would be " all right on the 

 night." The utmost cheerfulness prevailed, and they 

 loved to hear my stories about England. The Scots- 

 man had left his native country when quite a child, and 

 the amiable dwarf had been born in the colony where 

 he lived. An occasional English illustrated newspaper 

 was delightful to them. I would point out the printing 

 to them, and they would turn the conversation. They 

 were never satisfied until I had told them all about 

 London, listening like children to the simplest stories, 

 and when I gave them one of Paris, I am quite sure 

 they thought I was lying. On one occasion when I 

 told them a slightly improper story, the most bearded 

 chestnut I could think of, Quilp dropped his com- 

 posing stick and died laughing. The Scotsman, who 

 did not see it, regarded him with pity and asked me 

 to tell him another: perhaps he thought he might 

 see the second. However, I did not repeat the 

 experiment ; but reeled off little anecdotes about life 

 in Europe. 



You should have seen the paper when it came out ! 



It was the most beautiful patchwork that was ever 



perpetrated on the public. It was no good correcting 



the proofs : they would not make the revisions 



properly. At last I gave it up in despair, for the thing 



had to appear. I had got hold of some paper ; a 



I bright pink, not what I wanted, but the publication 



I was overdue. It was machined on an old hand press, 



and I could have wept with mortification when I saw 



I the first number. Nevertheless, my " firm " were as 



I pleased as possible, so there was only one thing to do 



Iji — ^to chime in with their happy mood. They worked 



53 



