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a heap of rags and under such a coverlet. How cold it. must be taking into account the broken ceiling and the broken windows-in the winter nights; how insufferably suffocating and sickening in the sultry nights of July and August!

It was difficult, when the laughing, merry-faced folk trooped into the hall to tea, to realise that they were of the kind who can find no better lodgings, and can afford no better bed, than those I have described. There were coster girls as well as lads-stout-built, buxom wenches, with rosy cheeks and bright eyes; and coster matrons, with their well-nurtured babies; and prime-o'life costers, tall enough for lifeguards-men, with limbs in proportion.

A noticeable feature was that the greater part had washed and dressed for the occasion; and it was plain that there had been a considerable expenditure in hairoil. An uproarious head of hair, even among the lads, was decidedly the exception; while in many instances it was evident that vast patience and perseverance had been employed in persuading the rebellious stubble to "lie down" peaceably, and even permit its untutored ends to be tortured in what was supposed to be a curl, although, as regards both rigidity and curve, it was more like a butcher's meat-hook. But they were one and all remarkably obliging and docile, and in a hundred small ways evinced a disposition to be comfortable and sociable.

They needed no second bidding by their true friend, the presiding genius of the Cow-cross Mission, to make themselves quite at home. The women did so to the extent of removing their bonnets and tying on a clean apron, produced from the gown-pocket; the men, at least very many of them, by divesting themselves of

their coats and jackets, and appearing in their shirtsleeves. Some half-dozen extreme enthusiasts went the length of rolling their shirt-sleeves above their elbows, and disencumbering their sinewy throats of their kerchiefs. While the tea, already milked and sweetened, was being teemed from the copper into convenient portable urns, the company rose and sung a hymn, which lasted until the bread-and-butter bearers, being now quite ready, entered in single file. Then, with a subdued chuckle of delight, they sat down and commenced the attack.

That was a serious business-serious as it was solid. I was under the impression that the chuckle abovementioned betokened that it was to be a mirthful meal -that so soon as the first slice or so had, as it were, taken the edge off the company's teeth, and their nostrils had sniffed the soothing aroma of the really excellent congou, pleasant conversation and mild hilarity would be the order of the evening. But I did not know them. That preliminary sound which I had mistaken for a chuckle, was but the brief ejaculation of proud confidence with which the combatant, sure of his strength and skill, welcomes the approach of an antagonist. So it was with my staunch two hundred. The severity— not to say ferocity-with which they helped themselves to slices, the contraction of brows that accompanied the act, the grim way in which, as they champed their massive jaws, they put aside the oily meat hook, stray hairs of which tickled their cheek-bones, as though to shew how inexorably determined they were to renounce the vanities of the world, and give their minds steadily to its substantials-all this made a sight to behold.

There was no hurry, no scrambling-there was no need for either; almost every table of fifteen or eighteen

guests had its particular waiter, and the plates were always kept piled with slices. Each double row kept its attendant going pretty briskly, however. He was not troubled much with verbal applications. When a guest had bolted, or was in the act of bolting his last mouthful, he either caught the waiter's eye, and winked his desire, or, failing this, he snapped his finger and thumb, or emitted a short, sharp sound within his lips-"Phit!"-and the plate was forwarded immediately. The remarkable way in which the more hearty of the guests disposed of these slices was so universal, that I need but describe the process as performed by one. Having gulped down the remnant of slice seven, he signalled for slice eight. If he had yet a moment to spare before his masticating organs were quite at liberty for the reception, he clutched it firmly by the crust, and regarded its buttered surface, as though to fascinate it and make it fall an easier victim to his devouring jaws. Then he gave his lips one cooling lick, and, opening his mouth to its widest, rammed in the slice, as though about to take a full cast of his molars and incissors for dental purposes. When he released. the slice, its crummy part had half-vanished, his sharp teeth having actually grazed its crusty back-bone. As he masticated the mouthful, he kept his eyes steadily on the wounded slice, and turned it a little to the right and to the left, as if to make up his mind at what part he would take a fresh grip of it. This settled to his satisfaction, he made a snap at the remainder of the crumb, and, having despatched that at two bites, he disposed of the crust, and promptly telegraphed for slice nine.

The tea they treated with less ceremony, though their relish for it was unmistakable. When they ordered a fresh cup, the first act was to pour it all out into the saucer, so that it might cool. When they required it, they did

not sip it, but "flushed" their throats with it at a single drench. These, however, be it remembered, were the younger branches, the unruly colts, of Costerdom, who had not learnt manners from their elders.

But they all ate and drank with a most tremendous relish. It was easy to understand now what a "reg'ler buster" meant. It means the partaking of food until the fastenings of ordinary articles of attire are no longer equal to the strain on them, and must be relaxed on peril of splitting. But my young friends, the budding costermongers, accomplished this "letting out" with as much circumspection as they shewed in devouring slices. They did not let slip all the buttons of their waistcoat at once, but after a certain time paid toll, as it were, at the rate of a button for a slice.

And yet it was impossible to call it gluttony. There was not a single youth present who did not, after he had made away with his entire row of buttons, look as serene and comfortable as though he was wearing an underwaistcoat closer buttoned even than the outer one, and as though he was good to keep on to the bottommost. button-hole. Indeed, their undiminished capacity was presently proved. The cake appeared in the halfbushel baskets, and was hailed with a hearty welcome. There were large pieces of cake in the baskets-as large as the hand, perhaps; but not a guest present refused a slice and another cup of tea "to wrench it down" as one young gentleman apologetically remarked to his attend

ant.

He and his companions, however, continued to put away several slices each without much "wrenching." On the whole, it was a highly successful tea. This was sufficiently evidenced by the beaming faces of all present, as well as by the fact that, when it was suggested that it was "all over, but if any lady or gentle

man there, as yet, had not had enough, they were at liberty to stay after the rest had dispersed, and have a jolly good gorge all to themselves." I could not but note that there were three or four who cast wistful glances at the cake, as though of more than half a mind to accept the invitation, but though bold enough for most things, had not the courage to withstand the jeers of the contented majority, and joining heartily with the rest in the "three cheers" that were given for their entertainer, the comfortable company of low Cow-crossites dispersed.

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