Year: 1866

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


"Ain't it little beauty?" she says.


Well, l couldn't see as it was; but l
didn't like to say so, for knew my wife
Polly had been rather reckoning on
what she said we ought to have had
more'n year ago; so / didn't like to
disappoint her, for knew she lay list
enin' in the neX' room.


Polly always said there never was
such baby as that one; and somehow
it ,Cds taking to see how her face used
to light up all over smiles when she
thought warn't looking; and I knew
it was all on account of the little un.
She never said she felt dull now; and
when at home at night I used to think
how my mates would laugh to see me a.
handling the little thing that was allus
being pushed into my face to kiss when
I'm blest if ever 1 see such voracious
un in my life: it would hang on to YOU
nose, lip, anywhereS-in a minute.


One day, when it was about nine
months old, it was taken all of a sudden
like with a fit. Polly screamed to me
to run for the doctor; for it happened
that was on the club that week, and at
with ho1 hand 7 rttt, for hi In,
and he soon come; and then there was a
warm bath and medicine; but after
ward, when l saw the little thing lying
on Polly's lap so still and quiet, and
with dull film forming over its eyes, l
felt that something was coming, though
dared not tell her; and about twelve
o'clock the little thing suddenly started,
stared wildly an instant, 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 dreadful, night and day,
night and day, till we buried it; and
then she seemed to take quite change,
and begged of me to forgive what she
called her selfishness, and wiped her eyes
once for all, as she said, and talked
about all being for the best. But she
didn't know that lay awake of night,
feeling her cry silently till the pillow
was soaked with tears.


We buried the little one on the Sun
day, and on the Monday morning was
clapped on to job that l didn't much
relish, for it was the rebricking of a
sewer that run down on one of the main
streets, quite fifty feet underground.


Arter two years in London I'd seen
to the bowels of the earth. I'd worked
on drains down in the country, but not
in such concern as this: why a 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-pipes and
water-pipes, and down and down, till
you get to the stage stretched across the
part you are at work on, with the day
light so high up, as seen through boards,
and scaffOlds, and ladders, that it's no
use to you who are working by the light
of fiaring gas. There in front of you is
the dark black arch; and there behind
you is another; while under your feet
the foul rushing water hurries along,
sending up smell MS 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 at once you
hear it again quite plain in way as
would make you jump as much as when
half brick or n bit o hard mortar
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 it, been from th" thought that,