nored bills, "executions," and arrests, mingled 

 with vain hopes, and human agony — all but 

 too plainly marked upon many a face, to pass 

 by unseen. "We felt more than once a strong 

 desire to be " wealthy" for their sakes ; for 

 our heart was that of a " Brother Cheeryble." 

 We are no strangers to the feelings for the 

 alleviation of which we plead, and at which we 

 can of course only glance en passant. Not to 

 dwell on this painful subject, we may remark, 

 that we envy not the feelings of any man who 

 can behold unmoved the commencement of 

 such " a day" as we have pointed out ; and 

 when we say that it is " an every -day picture,'''' 

 in the barest outline, only, we speak but the 

 naked truth. 



Just as we reached the corner of the street 

 leading to the railway termini (immediately 

 over London Bridge), we were hailed by a 

 passenger in a pair of white ducks, with a 

 waistcoat to match, and a drab -colored 

 shooting coat. He was evidently a man of 

 an independent spirit, although of moderate 

 stature ; and he was in a state called by some 

 " happy." His garb told us that he was a 

 workman of some kind, and his "pursuit of 

 knowledge under difficulties" (for he was try- 

 ing hard by suction, to test the flavor of a 

 cigar which was not ignited) proved to us that 

 he was a man of energy. He mounted, and 

 took his seat immediately beside us ; and ob- 

 serving a boy selling fuzees, he called him and 

 effected a purchase. Opening the box, for 

 which he had paid " one penny," he found 

 that instead of " six rows" as announced by 

 the vendor, there were only three rows of 

 fuzees; but as the coachman, ere the discovery 

 was made, had placed him and the cunning 

 dealer far removed, he said, — " he must grin 

 and bear it." He philosophised, however, 

 on this incident; and barring certain anathe- 

 mas of our friend against dishonest dealers, 

 our readers shall have the benefit of our 

 little gossip. 



" You are a wag," said we to him of the 

 white ducks ; " and you seem to bear hard, 

 under the cover of a jest, upon the ways of 

 the world." "That's just it, masters," re- 

 plied he (for both Ave and our associate were 

 interested in drawing him out)," it's a precious 

 rum world we live in, and hard work to take 

 care of one's self." He then told us much 

 and many of the evils practised on this globe 

 of ours, the truth of which we were bound to 

 acknowledge, for we could not deny it. 



It seems this young man was employed as 

 a mechanic, at the fair wages of thirty shil- 

 lings per week (we should imagine from the 

 glibness of his tongue and action, that he 

 would climb a scaffold like a cat). He was 

 then going down to Dulwich, to work at a six 

 months' engagement. We asked him, what 

 he did with his money, and how it was that 

 he was " fresh" so early in the day ? " Aye, 



masters," replied he, " you have me there ! 

 The fact is, I live with my mother, and I pay 

 her twenty shillings for board and lodging ; 



the other ten shillings" (here he paused, 



and looked sideways at us) " I — I — 1 spend at 

 the public-house in drink." Here his head 

 dropped forward on his breast. It was really 

 grievous to see a fine young fellowlike this, the 

 victim to bad example, and we brought him to 

 book by argument. So far was he from feeling 

 offended,that we found him readily accessible 

 to reason, and really obliged to us for taking 

 the trouble to reason with him. " What you 

 tell me, masters," said he, " is excellent ; but 

 when I get to the public-house on Saturday, I 

 cannot help taking a drop, first with one and 

 then with another, and when I get home I 

 am doubled up." In this man we see repre- 

 sented many other good workmen, led away 

 by bad example and the public-house. We 

 did not spare him a bit ; but when we left 

 him (at Dulwich) his mind was full of a 

 savings'-bank, — a glass of ale at home with 

 his mother — the prospect of a wife and family 

 (nicely provided for) — respect shown him by 

 his master — a horror of the inevitable con- 

 sequences from drinking ardent spirits — and a 

 dread of " entering that nasty public-house 

 again." Let us hope — we do hope, that our 

 morning's journey had some beneficial result. 

 But Ave have passed Camberwell, and are uoav 

 ascending Denmark Hill. 



What a beautiful ascent have Ave here ! 

 and Iioav very lovely each side of the road 

 does look, with its rows of lofty trees, 

 overhanging the more unpretending but, not 

 less beautiful lilacs, laburnums, and Avhite 

 and red thorn— the fragrance of Avhich, borne 

 upon the breeze, is so delightful to the 

 senses ! And what a magnificent landscape 

 do we catch sight of, every uoav and then, 

 through an opening as Ave pass oirward ! 

 Most Avisely has Mr. Boucher established 

 his country-seat here ; and equally sagacious 

 has his neighbor proved himself. The one, 

 an eminent tanner, has shoAved us there is 

 " nothing like leather;" and the other, that 

 there is nothing like " Stationery." — Who 

 Avould not be stationary in such an earthly 

 Paradise ! 



Dulwich, Avith its rural entrance, is now 

 before us. How very rustic everything 

 looks ; and Iioav very clean and tidy all the 

 villagers seem ! No rude boys and girls 

 can Ave see, staring us out of countenance ; 

 but all modest and respectful. This is too 

 rare an observation not to be recorded. 

 And there, on the right, stands the " Grey- 

 hound tavern." "What a nice, tempting house 

 for a snack 1" said Ave. We heard our com- 

 panion echo the sentiment con spirito ; and in 

 Ave Avent. We had used the Avoid " snack," 

 as the provocative to an appetite. It 

 ansAvered Avell. Seated before a "Avell-ap- 



