GOOD CONDUCT OF THE LOWER CLASSES. 441 



full possession of her senses, the poor girl was lying, and 

 to her great horror told their melancholy errand. In spite 

 of her protestations that she was not dead, the fellows, 

 however, were hardly to be prevailed upon to leave the house 

 empty-handed ! This young woman subsequently recovered ; 

 but when she saw the coffin intended for her, which was 

 still remaining in the yard, she expressed great indignation 

 at its unblacked and uncoffin-like appearance, and at its 

 very confined dimensions. * It was so short/ as she ex- 

 pressed it, ' that unless her legs had been first cut off, she 

 could not have been laid in it in a decent manner.' ' 



But the poor girl was not worse fitted in this respect 

 than many others. During the prevalence of the disease, 

 indeed, I heard of the end of a coffin being knocked 

 out, the better to accommodate the long legs of a shoe- 

 maker's apprentice, who was carried, booted as he died, to 

 the grave. 



The conduct of such of the higher classes as remained 

 during the cholera, is described to me as having been 

 exemplary. " Many spent their time in prayer and medi- 

 tation, preparing their minds to submit with resignation 

 to the will of God. Owing probably to greater attention to 

 diet, and to the ventilation of their houses, as also to better 

 medical advice, few suffered in proportion to their poorer 

 neighbours." 



The behaviour of the lower classes was also much lauded 

 by the same authority, even under the extreme of suffering. 

 " They gave way to no excesses : inordinate drinking, to 

 which in common times they are much addicted, was laid 

 aside ; there was no riot, no despair ; and the poor man was 

 found administering to the wants of his fellow-creatures with 



