12 WINTER SKETCHES. 



a greater assurance of purity in the new stock 

 than in the old stock, which is liable to be 

 watered ; still it might be readily imagined 

 that arrowroot and other ingredients may 

 form a basis for deception if the known integ- 

 rity of those who manufacture it, did not 

 place them above suspicion. 



As I jogged along upon my road I overtook 

 a gentleman, of whom I enquired, *' What is 

 that large establishment we are approaching ?" 



" That, sir," he replied, "" is Decker's, and I 

 think it is well worth seeing ; I have often had 

 a curiosity to enter it myself, and if you like 

 we can now apply for admission." We drew 

 up at the gates accordingly and permission to 

 enter was readily granted by the custodian. 



*' You will find the ladies at dinner just now, 

 gentlemen, " he said, ** but they will be happy 

 to see you." 



He accordingly ushered us in, and we passed 

 down between two rows of the occupants, who 

 were so busily engaged with their meal that 

 they scarcely noticed our presence. There 

 were eighty-seven of them, and what struck us 

 as very remarkable, they were dining in abso- 

 lute silence. They were variously dressed, 

 some in black, some in white, but red appeared 



