210 SAMUEL FINLEY BEEESE MORSE. 



it was possible I could have made so great a change 

 in my habits. I am obliged to screw and pinch 

 myself in a thousand things in which I used to 

 indulge myself at home. ... I breakfast on simple 

 bread and butter, and two cups of coffee; I dine 

 on either beef, mutton, or pork (veal being out of 

 the question, as it is one shilling and six pence per 

 pound), baked, with potatoes, warm perhaps twice 

 a week, all the rest of the week cold; at tea, 

 bread and butter, with two cups of tea. This is 

 my daily round. 



" I have had no new clothes for nearly a year ; 

 my best are threadbare, and my shoes are out at 

 the toes ; my stockings all want to see my mother, 

 and my hat is growing hoary with age. . . . ' But/ 

 you will say, ' what do you do with the money, if 

 you live thus sparingly ? ' Why, I will tell you 

 the whole. When I first came to London, I was 

 told, if I meant to support the character of a gen- 

 tleman, I must take especial care of my personal 

 appearance ; so I thought it a matter of course that 

 I must spare no expense in order to appear well. 

 So, this being first in my mind, I (supposing very 

 wisely that London folks had nothing else to do 

 but to see how I was dressed) laid out a consider- 

 able part of my money on myself; meanwhile, 

 picture-galleries and collections, with many other 

 places which I ought constantly to have visited, 

 and which cost some money, were neglected. And 

 why ? Because I could not afford it. 



" Well, in process of time, I found no very par- 



