CHARITY OF A SORT. 33 



like getting into a cold bed in a winter's 

 night ; if you warm the sheets first, there's 

 the blankets underneath to warm you in 

 return ; and so it is with poor men : if 

 you're frightened at the first chill, you'll 

 never find the glow there is about them, 

 that only wants fetching out. I hate to 

 hear some say, " The poor are so ungrate- 

 ful." Look now, people give away some 

 coals in winter-time, or some clothes to poor 

 women, and some mean well enough, ay, 

 and do such things and let nobody know it ; 

 but if it wasn't for seeing their names in 

 print, and it's being a public subscription, 

 five out often wouldn't give sixpence. Well, 

 perhaps, by and by these same people want 

 a job done for one shilling that's worth two 

 shillings and sixpence; and then comes the 

 cry, " Poor people are so ungrateful." Out 

 on such charity ! say I. 



And now let me tell about a bit of my 

 foolishness; for I've been foolish, like my 

 father before me, though maybe in a differ- 

 ent way. I feel ashamed of it ; but perhaps 

 the telling it may help some young men to 

 keep out of the pit I fell into, and teach 'em 

 when they've got a good place to try and 



