e particularly lively, and chaff was flying as thickly as
snow-flakes had fallen the night before. Even the roughs--who forsook
their dens, and, with shovels and brooms on their shoulders, paraded the
streets, intent on clearing door-steps with or without the leave of
inhabitants--seemed to be less gruff than usual, and some of them even
went the length of cutting jokes with the cabmen and the boys. Perhaps
their spirits were elevated by the proud consciousness of being for once
in the way of earning an honest penny!

"I say, Ned," observed one of these roughs (a lively one), who was very
rough indeed, to a companion, who was rougher still and gloomy, "look at
that there gal cleanin' of her steps with a fire-shovel! Ain't that
economy gone mad? Hallo, young 'ooman, what's the use o' trying to do
it with a teaspoon, when there's Ned and me ready to do it with our
shovels for next to nothin'?"

The servant-girl declined the assistance thus liberally offered, so the
two men moved slowly on, looking from side to side as they went, in
expectation of employment, while a small boy, in a man's hat, who walked
behind them, nodded to the girl, and said she was a "sensible thrifty
gal," and that she might be sure there was "some feller unknown who
would bless the day he was born after he'd got her."

Fifty yards farther on, a stout, red-faced, elderly gentleman was
observed to look out at the street door and frown at things in general.

"Have your door-steps cleaned, sir?" asked the lively rough, taking the
shovel off his shoulder.

The elderly gentleman being angry, on private and unknown grounds
(perhaps bad digestion), vouchsafed no reply, but looked up at the sky
and then over the way.

"Do it cheap, sir," said the lively rough.

"No!" said the elderly gentleman, with a sort of snapping look, as he
turned his gaze up the street and then down it.

"Snow's wery deep on the steps, sir," said the rough.

"D'you suppose I'm an ass?" exclaimed the elderly gentleman, in a sudden
burst.

"Well, sir," said the lively rough, in the grave tone and manner of one
who has had a difficult question in philosophy put to him, "well, sir, I
don't know about that."

His large mouth expanded gradually from ear to ear after this reply.
The elderly gentleman's face became scarlet and his nose purple, and
retreating two paces, he slammed the door violently in the rough's face.

"Ah, it all comes of over-feedin', poor feller," said t