THE INDIGNANT WIFE. 13 



each, the winner to spend five guineas and the putter-up 

 five guineas, to defray the expense of liquor and a supper, 

 which will be on the table at eight o'clock." Here fol- 

 low the names. And I may say, in most places, the list 

 is speedily filled, for horse raffles are more popular than 

 raffles for watches, pictures, and the like. Horsey 

 tradesmen are fond of horse raffles ; they meet with 

 horsey friends, and it is " hail, fellow, well met ;" they 

 chaff one another, get up trotting matches between their 

 old stiff 7 galloways, stake a sovereign, sign articles, 

 go home late, and often drunk, have high words with 

 the wife, who rifles their pockets, and finds the agree- 

 ment, " that Mr. Jonathan Muddlehead (her husband) 

 agrees to bet Mr. Timothy Haddock five pounds that his 

 grey pony beats Mr. Haddock's brown mare," &c. ; but 

 this is enough for Mrs. Muddlehead. 



" Oh, a nice fellow, isn't he, to be squandering his 

 money away among a lot of ragamuffins like Haddock, 

 Thompson, and the rest of them. Trot ! Ah ! I'll give 

 him trotting. More need pay Mr. Jones, and not have 

 him coming here every week for his account. However, 

 the next thing will be a writ, the bailiffs and the work- 

 house. Such men as him only marry poor women to 

 get them into trouble. Look at Mr. Simpkins he never, 

 goes to public houses ; he pays his way, and keeps his 

 wife and children respectable. (At this point she tears 

 up the agreement.) There that's what I'll do with 

 that." 



" Fetch me a bottle of soda-water," says Muddlehead, 

 placing his hand on his fevered forehead. 



