ee. _He_ is a `working-man,' my dear:--_they_, are nothing of the
sort.--Oh, no!"

"Do they really obtain such good wages?" I inquired;--"if so, what on
earth do they do with the money?"

"Yes,"--said the vicar, in full swing of his favourite political
argument,--"if anything, I have rather understated the case than
exaggerated it. The manager of one of the telegraph-cable manufactories
down the river, told me the other day, that, many of the hands drew four
and five pounds regularly each Saturday. And these men, he further
informed me, spent the greater part of this in drink and pleasuring on
their off-days. They will have good food and the best, too--such as I
cannot afford, in these days of high butchers' bills; notwithstanding
that they make such a poor show for their money, and save none of it,
either! I do not complain of this, politically speaking, for, `an
Englishman's house is his castle,' you know, and he has the right to
live as he pleases; but, I do say, that when poor curates and clerks are
so taxed, these men ought to bear their share of the taxation,
possessing, as they do, incomes quite as large and in many cases
greater."

"But, they are taxed indirectly, though, are they not?"--I asked.

"Certainly; but, so also are all of us, the larger number of _real_
working-men of the country--quite in addition to the heavy burden we
have to bear of local and direct taxation! The pseudo `working-man'
should fairly contribute his quota to all this--particularly, since his
bottle-holders have been so clamourous for giving him a share in the
government of the state. If he wants `a share in the government,' why,
he should help to support it:--that's what I say!"

And the vicar then went off into a tirade against class legislators and
radical politics, not forgetting to animadvert, too, on the "Manchester
School"--his great bete noir.

"I wonder what Mr Mawley would say, to hear you run down his favourite
party so!"--I said, when he gave me another opening to put in a
word.--"He's such a rabid Liberal."

"Mawley is thorough," said the vicar; "I do not agree with his views,
certainly; but _he_ really believes in them and acts up to his theories,
which is more than can be said for a good many of our `Liberal'
statesmen! What can _one_ think of them when one hears them talking of
`economy,' and cutting down the poor clerk's salary, without dreaming of
touching their own little snug incomes of five thousan