Morning journal and courier., 1893-06-10

of goats, fowls, ferrets, rats for destroying beetles, rats for the pit, chaAinches, rab. bits and much other unssYory live stock, held in the rear of Shoreditch church tn Hare street, hard by our eoster home. Af- ter breakfast we repaired thither and bought respectable secondhand barrow and donkey for ''two pun ten;p some selves, shallows and baskets for few shil- lipgs more; and then passed part of the of other lowly London cutters. On Mon day we were all at Covent Garden market at four o'clock in the morning, and had . load of crisp vegetables disposed of by one o'clock in the afternoon among the 'rludeing 'ouse" keepers of Bloomsbury, ct c net profit, including some repairs for our cart and harness and food for our donkey. which had proven brave and hsartsome beast, of six shillings, fourpence. On Tuesday we sold cheap meat from Smith, field in the Minories, at profit of eight unlucky on shrimps and sprats, and gained but two shillings. Thursday, with veseta- bles, we cleared but five shiIlires. On Friday, with fish, as had friends at Bil- lingsgste market and got favors, we re turned home with e profit of eleven shil- lings, ninepence- But Saturdays efforts gave us the greatest achievement of all. I determined to sell to a gipsy camp at Wandsworth- At the mention of gipsies Slumpsy and Becky were mortified. But I knew the gipsy taste and gipsy pocket, and we filled our cart with poultry, meat and fsh. It was long journey for 8 coster sea bridge, and into Surrey at wands- worth; but our days sales netted twenty one shillinSs and threepsnce, besides our odd experience with the Romsny folk of that metropolitan gipsyrie; and 1t was glorious Saturday night when we found that our total earnings had been two pounds, fifteen shillings and 6 penny; or a net profit, after deducting every expense of food and rent, of two pounds, two shil- lings and ninepence
 long, long story, though 6 pleasant one, would be the relation of the four weeks' similar life which followed; of the in coster society; the hard words and the sublimated Billingsgste hesped upon us. and occasionally the times when we had to "put up our flyers" and contest our right to buy and sell among those where ostrscism had been complete; of the lumi- nous chafing their "Lucky Gu'vnor," as the costers dubbed me, had to accept on their account and his own; of the depths of misery and degradation unfolded dur ing this brief period of genuine low Lon don fife; of the wonderful eIcursions taken by river, rail, and our own spank ing new cart which we soon secured by eI- change and c moderate extra payment; of the gradual evolution of these folk into non gambling, non drinking, fair respecta- ble man and woman; of their ineIprefsi- ble pride when, after all debts and the like had been cleared away, there wsa is- sued to the pair, who almost breathlessly and altogether simultaneously exclaimed "Gor bi me, but 'ere is @ go!" by the ofa . oisls of the Post Office Savings bank, No 27 St. Paups Churchyard, huge deposit book, with 'tf5. 5. 6" to their credit. And am proud to add that, though Becky has not been able to follow the cart with her cheery voice and pleasant ways quite all the time, for reasons which kindly hearted mothers can we'll understand, within years time the credit In this same deposit book has been increased to @ round thirty pounds; and that within this hum ble Bell Lane coster's home the lusty voice of @ youthful Slumpsy Jem is heard. When happen In upon the two, ss I often do of an evening or 6 Sunday, am al- lowed to toss the coster son and heir about quite recklessly, the while Jem ST. bulges his eyes and never ceases his "Gor bill me, but 'ere's a gol" and Becky, all friEzes, feathers aud sunshiny smiles, as stoutly asserts, "Strike me lucky. but hits eksl wor'nt bornl" EDGAR l.. WAKKMAN.