204 IRiMno IRccoUections an^ ^urf Stories 



being rebuilt round an old disused churchyard, and 

 the sides were about equal. All at once one of the 

 gentlemen sitting next Billy said : 



" Well, Councillor Nicholl, what is your opinion on 

 this question ?" 



"Well," said Billy, "them poor devils what's 

 inside, there's no fear of them getting out ; and them 

 blokes what's outside don't want to get in ; so I 

 don't see what you want a blooming wall at all 

 for." 



A more original, amusing companion I never met. 

 He used to keep a few racehorses at one time, and 

 had two or three useful ones — I forget their names 

 — which he generally ran up in the North, and his 

 principal jockey was Jem Snowden, whom he was 

 very fond of, and to whom he always behaved well 

 up to the last, although he had left off racing. 

 He was, indeed, a real good-natured, kind-hearted 

 man. He is still living, although, I regret to say, 

 nearly blind. 



One has only to mention the name of Joe Wood to 

 many persons still living to bring back to memory 

 several little things past and gone. Joe Wood was 

 a man who made money easily, and generally spent 

 it nearly as fast as he made it. Although he was 

 sharp enough at his own game, he was just as big a 



