Year: 1866

] About year after my scaff0ld acci-
dent, l goes home one night, and Mrs.


Burge-that's our nex'-room neighbor
shows me something wrapped up in
flannel, all pink and Greasy, aud very
snufty, as though it wanted its nose
blowing; which couldn't be expected,
for it hadn't got any to signify.


| Well, couldn't see as 1t was but I
didn't like to say so, for l knew my
wife Polly had ben rather reckoning on


what she said we ought to have had
more'n a year ago; so l didn't like to
disappoint her, for knew she lay list
enin' in the next room.


Polly always said there never was
such baby as that one; aud somehow
| it Uas taking to see how her face used
| to light up all over with smiles when
she thought 1 warn't looking; and l
knew it was all on account of the little
'un. She never said she felt dull now
and when ut home of a night I used to
think how my mates would laugh to see
me handling the little thing that was
allus being pushed into my face to kiss;
when I'm blest if ever see such vo-
racious 'un in my life; it would hang
on to you-nose, lip, anywheres-in u
minute. ..tE 7'.~ .r..


One day, when it was about nine
months old, it was taken all of sudden
like with fit. Polly screamed to me
| to run for the doctor; for it happened
| to me that was on the club that week,
and at home with bad hand. l run
for him, and he soon came; aud then


there was a warm bath and medicine I;


but afterwards, when l saw the little
thing laying on Polly's lap SO still and
quiet, and with dull film forming
over its eyes, felt that something was
coming, though l dared not tell her !;
and about twelve o'clock the little thing
suddenly started, stared wildly an in
stant, and then it was all over.


My hand warn't bad any more that


week; for it took all my time to try and
cheer up my poor heart-broken LASS
She did take on dreadfully, night and


day till we buried it; and then she


seemed to take quite change, and beg
ged of me to forgive what she called her


selfishness, and wiped her eyes once for


all, as she said, and talked about all be-


ing for the best. But she didn't know


that lay awake of q night, feeling her


cry silently till the pillow was soaked


with tears.


/ We buried the little one Oh the Sun


day, and Oh the Monday morning was


clapped on to job that l didn't much


relish, for 1t was the rebricking of a


sewer that ran down one of the main


streets, quite fifty feet under ground.


After two years i'm London I'd seen


some change, but this was my frs visit


to the bowels of the earth. ia worked


on drains down in the country, but not
in such concern rs this; why, life
guard might have walked down it easy !;
so that there was plenty of room to


work. But then, mind you, it amt
pleasant work there you go, down lad
der after ladder, past gas pes and wa
ter-pipes, and down and down, till you
get to the stage stretched across the part
that you are at work on, with the day
light SO high up, as seen through boards
and scaff0lds and ladders, that it's no
use to you who are working by the light
Of flaring gas. There in front of you is
the dark, black arch while under your
feet the foul rushing water hurres
a.ong, sending up snlt.i as turns your
silver watch, and every sixpence and
shilling you have in your pocket, black
as the water that swirls bubbling along.


Every word you speak sounds hollow
and echoing, while it goes whispering
and rumbling along the dark arch till
you think it has gone, when all ut once
you hear it again quite plain in way
that would make you jump as much as
when half brick or a bit o hard NOR
tar dropped into the water.


But talk about jumping, nothing
made me jump more than when bit of
soil, or stone, was loosened up above
and came rattling down. I've seen
more than one chap change color and
/ know its been from the thought that,
suppose the earth caved in, where
should we be? No doubt the first crush
In would do 1t, and there would be an
end of workmen and foreman; but
there seemed something very awful in
the idea o. being buried alive. .,..


Big AS the opening was, when went
to work, it made me shudder; there
was the earth thrown out; there was
the boarding round; there was the rope
at the side; there it was for oil the
world like a big grave, same as I'd stood
by on little scale the day before and,
feeling bit low-spirited, it almost
seemed as though | was going down
into my own, never to come up any
more.


Very stupid and foolish ideas, saws
you-far- fetched ideas. Very likely,
but that's what l thought; and there
are times when men has very strange
ideas; and I'll tell you for fact that
something struck me when went down
that hole as when / shouldn't come up
1t again and didn't neither. Why,
the VERY feel o. the cold, damp place
made you think o. bein' buried, and
when q few bits of earth came ratified
down upon the stage above my head, as
soon as the first start was over, it SEEM
ed to me so like the rafting o. the earth
but few hours before, upon little cof-
fin, that something fell with pat upon
my bright trowel, which, if it had been
left, would ha' been spot o. rust.


Nothing like work to put a fellow to |
rights, and / soon found that was feel !
ing better, and the strokes o. my trowel
went ringing away down the sewer as |
cut the bricks in half; and after q bit |
almost felt inclined to whistle; but / |
didn't, for kept on thinking o. that |
solitary face at home--the face that al |
ways frightened up when went back,
and had made such a man OF ME as |
felt was, for 1t was enough to make |
any man vain to be thought SO much of. I
And then thought how dull she'd be /
and how fond she'd be o. looking at the !
drawer where all the little things were |
kept; and then I-well, l amt asham-
ed oft. If am great hulking fellow
II took care that nobody saw what / I
was doing, while had look at little
bit OF shoe as l had in my pocket.


didn't go home to dinner, for 1t was /
too far off; so l had my snack, and then /
went to it again directly along with two
more, for we was on the piece. We had
some beer sent down to us, and Mt it we
went till it was time to leave off; and I /
must say | was glad of it, and didn't /
much envy the fresh gang coming on to
work all night, though it might Just rs
well have been night with US. was
last down, and had just put my foot on
the first round Of the ladder, when I
heard something falling as it hit and
Jared the boards up'ards; and then, di-
rectly after, what seemed to be brick
caught me on the head, and, before /
knew where / was, was off the little
platform, splash down in the cold, rush
ing water that took me off and away
yards upon yards before got my head
above it; and then / was SO confused
and half stunned that 1 let it go under
again, and had been carried ever SO far
before, half drowned, gained my legs
and leaned, painting and blinded, up
against the Shiny wall.


There stood for at least ten minutes,