Yet was
he a very pleasant fellow when he had money to spend, and actually a
witty as well as a jovial dog when spending it. His wife had not long
given birth to a fine girl, and the mother's bosom bled over the
destitution with which her husband's recklessness had now made her so
long familiar.

All this time your humble servant was squalling, and none were found
who, under all the strange circumstances would take upon them the charge
of an infant, about to be immediately forsaken by its mother. At
length, one of the maid-servants at the inn remembered to have heard
Mrs Brandon say, that rather than live on among all her squalidness and
penury, she would endeavour to suckle another child besides her own;
and, as she was then in redundant health, and had two fine breasts of
milk,--for _a_ fine breast of milk would not have served my turn, or,
rather, Mary and I must have taken it by turns,--she was accordingly
sent for. Yet, when she understood that I was to be placed that moment
under her care, that no references could be given, and no address left
in the case of accident, all her wishes to better herself and babe were
not sufficiently strong to make her run the risk. A guinea-and-a-half a
week was offered, and the first quarter tendered in advance, but in
vain; at length, an additional ten-pound note gave her sufficient
courage, and flannel being in request, I was thus launched to struggle
with the world. The frantic kiss of the distracted mother was impressed
on my lips, the agonised blessing was called down upon me from the God
that she then thought not of interceding with for herself, and the
solemn objurgation given to my foster-mother to have a religious and
motherly care of me, by the love she bore her own child; and then, lest
the distress of this scene should become fatal to her who bore me, I and
my nurse were hurried away before the day of my birth had fully dawned.

This day happened to be one in which the top-sawyer had been graciously
pleased to toss his arms up and down over the pit--not of destruction,
but of preservation. He had started early, and, whilst he was setting
the teeth on edge of all within hearing, by setting an edge to his saw,
some very officious friend ran to him, to tell him that his wife was
increasing his family, without even his permission having been asked.
Instead, therefore, of making a dust in his own pit, he flung down his
file, took up his lanthorn, and hurried along t