190 THE POST AND THE PADDOCK. 



owners of the " Hydrocephalic Child/' the "Fair 

 Circassian with the Golden Locks/' or " The Living 

 Princess/' who, " when she wur born she weighed a 

 pound and an 'alf, now she weighs four pounds" are 

 as nothing in their eyes ; a.nd with the small gim- 

 crack vendors and singers, who are ready to do 

 " annything to yarn a crust/' they will hold no com- 

 munion. Among the latter crew may be noted the 

 fat acrobat, who has passed the best years of his life 

 in lifting a needle from the ground with his eye-lid, 

 and the old man in shabby fatigue uniform, who went 

 about two years ago with a huge Crimean beard, and 

 assuring every " Bono Francaize " he met, that if 

 " their brave chaps only got a chance, they'd go in at 

 them Russians like a dog at his dinner" The singers 

 south of the Trent never seem to us to have half the 

 breadth and spirit of the Northern minstrels, and 

 merely work away at ditties to the effect that "of 

 all the girls that I do love, I love myself the best/ 7 

 instead of boldly chaunting the deeds of great win- 

 ners. Three-inch wax babies have also come in on 

 the wreck of the " new guinea " trade, and " Large 

 families of babbies for one shilling , three on 3 em for 

 sixpence who'll have a babby for tuppence ?" is the 

 stereotyped appeal from the vendors to all ages and 

 sexes. The " Wright " of the race-course, after all, 

 is a thin man of about fifty, who spends his summer 

 in woman's attire, with ribbons in his hair, a faded 

 yellow fan in one hand, and a green and pink parasol 

 in the other. If his face was a little stouter, he 

 would strikingly resemble that great low comedian ; 

 and his opening dialogue about " Well Lady John, 

 and how are the flowers to-day ? I've seen the gar- 

 dener, fyc." followed up by the song of the " Old 

 Arm Cheer" with each stanza illustrated by a mock 

 fandango, and a peculiar screw in' his walk as he re- 

 tires, is one of the most humorous scenas we know. 



