down I sits by her side, and then she pours me out a glass, and pours out all her grief, telling me how my father had left her for another woman, who kept another cellar in another street, and how she was very unhappy, and how she had taken to gin-which was nothing but human natur, you see, and how she meant to make away with herself; and then she sent for more quarterns, and we finished them. What with the joy of finding me, and the grief at losing my father, and the quarterns of gin, she went to bed crying drunk, and fell fast asleep. So did I, and thought home was home, after all. Next morning I takes up the business, and finds trade not so bad after all; so I takes the command of all, keeps all the money, and keeps mother in order, and don't allow drinking nor disorderly conduct in the house; but goes to the public-house every night for a pipe and a pot.

"Well, every thing goes on very well for a month, when who should come home but father, which I didn't approve of, because I liked being master. So I being a strong chap, then says, 'If you be come to ill treat my mother, I'll put you in the kennel, father. Be off to your new Ar'n't you ashamed of yourself?"

woman.

says I. So father looks me in the face, and tells me to stand out of his way, or he'll make cat'smeat of me; and then he goes to my mother, and after a quarter of an hour of sobbing on her part, and coaxing on his, they kiss and make friends; and then they both turns to me and orders me to leave the cellar, and never to show my face again. I refuses; father flies at me, and mother helps him; and between the two I was hustled out to find my bread how and where I could. I've never taken a woman's part since. [Puff, puff, puff, and a deep sigh.] I walks down to the water side, and having one

or two shillings in my pocket, goes into a public-house to get a drop of drink and a bed.

And when I comes in, I sees a man hand a note for change to the landlady, and she gives him change. That won't do,' says he, and he was

half tipsy: 'I gave you a ten-pound note, and

this here lad be witness.'

says the woman.

cheat,' says he,

It was only a one,"

You are a dd old

says he, and if you don't give me the

change, I'll set your house on fire, and burn you alive.' With that there was a great row, and he goes out for the constable, and gives her in charge, and gives me in charge as a witness, and then she gives him in charge, and so we all went to the watch-house together, and slept on the benches. The next morning we all appeared before the magistrate, and the man tells his story, and calls me as a witness; but recollecting how much I had suffered from seeing, I wouldn't see any thing this time. It

might have been a ten-pound note, for it certainly didn't look like a one; but my evidence went rather for than against the woman, for I only proved the man to be drunk; and she was let off, and I walked home with her. So says she, You're a fine.boy, and I'll do you a good turn for what you have done for me. My husband is a waterman, and I'll make you free of the river; for he hasn't no 'prentice, and you can come on shore and stay at the public-house, when you ar❜n't wanted.' I jumped at the offer, and so, by not seeing, I gets into a regular livelihood. Well, Jacob, how do you like it ?”

"Very much," replied I.

"And you, Mary ?”

"O! I like it very much; but I want father to go on, and to know how he fell in love, and

married my mother."

“Well, you shall have it all by-and-by; but now I must take a spell.”

VOL. II.

CHAPTER VI.

A very sensible chapter, having reference to the senses- -Stapleton, by keeping his under controul, keeps his head above water in his wherry-Forced to fight for his wife, and when he had won her, to fight on to keep her-No great prize, yet it made him a prize-fighter.

OLD Stapleton finished his pipe, took another swig at the porter, filled, relighted, puffed to try it, cleared his mouth, and then proceeded:

"Now you see, Bartley, her husband, was the greatest rogue on the river; he was up to every thing, and stood at nothing. He fleeced as much on the water as she did on the land, for I often seed her give wrong change afterwards