y fish," as will be apparent from the sentiments in the
following

ODE TO A HERRING

Wee silvery fish, who nobly braves
The dangers o' the ocean waves,
While monsters from the unknown caves
Make thee their prey,
Escaping which the human knaves
On thee lig way.
No doubt thou was at first designed
To suit the palates of mankind;
Yet as I ponder now, I find
Thy fame is gone,
With dainty dish thou art behind
With every one.

. . . . .

When times are hard we're scant o' cash,
And famine hungry bellies lash
And tripe and trollabobble's trash
Begin to fail--
Asteead o' soups an' oxtail 'ash,
Hail! herring, hail!
Full monny a time 'tas made me groan
To see thee stretched, despised, alone;
While turned-up noses past have gone
O' purse-proud men!
No friends, alas! save some poor one
Fra' t' paddin' can.

. . . . .

If through thy pedigree we peep,
Philosophy from thee can reap,
To me I need not study deep
There's nothing foreign,
For I, like thee, am sold too cheap,
My little herring!

CHAPTER IV

PLAYING THE CLOWN AND EVADING THE IMPOSSIBLE

I left the employ of my friend the Frenchman, and joined "Mother" Beach's
"grand theatrical combination." The business was formerly owned by Mr
Beach, and at his death the widow undertook the management of the
concern, with assistance from her son William, whose stage cognomen was
"Little Billy Beach." Mr Beach, junior, was a better class comedian. The
company consisted of, in addition to the last-named, Tom Smith, Jonas
Wright, Edward Tate, Jack Buckley, John Spencer, Arthur Bland and myself,
and a quartette of ladies, viz.--"Bella," afterwards Mrs William Beach;
Ann Tracey, afterwards Mrs John Spencer; and Mrs Wright and "Mother"
Beach, who were sisters. Certainly not a very powerful company as regards
numbers! We visited such towns as Batley, Adwalton, Gomersal, &c. Well do
I remember being with the company at the Roberttown Races. Races were not
actually run there at the time of our visit, but they had been, and the
name was kept up. It was really the Feast or Tide, for which Roberttown
was somewhat notorious, and the old race course was used for the fair
ground. There was a conglomeration of scores of twopenny circuses, penny
"ga