lay for several minutes, stretching, yawning, and sighing,
occasionally casting an irresolute glance towards the tiny fireplace,
where lay a modicum of wood and coal, with a tinder-box and a match or
two placed upon the hob, so that he could easily light his fire for the
purposes of shaving, and breakfasting. He stepped at length lazily out
of bed, and when he felt his feet, again yawned and stretched himself.
Then he lit his fire, placed his bit of a kettle on the top of it, and
returned to bed, where he lay with his eye fixed on the fire, watching
the crackling blaze insinuate itself through the wood and coal. Once,
however, it began to fail, so he had to get up and assist it, by
blowing, and bits of paper; and it seemed in so precarious a state that
he determined not again to lie down, but sit on the bedside: as he did,
with his arms folded, ready to resume operations if necessary. In this
posture he remained for some time, watching his little fire, and
listlessly listening to the discordant jangling of innumerable
church-bells, clamorously calling the citizens to their devotions. The
current of thoughts passing through his mind, was something like the
following:--

"Heigho!--Lud, Lud!--Dull as ditch water!--This is my only holiday, yet
I don't seem to enjoy it!--for I feel knocked up with my week's work! (A
yawn.) What a life mine is, to be sure! Here am I, in my
eight-and-twentieth year, and for four long years have been one of the
shopmen at Tag-rag & Co.'s, slaving from half-past seven o'clock in the
morning till nine at night, and all for a salary of thirty-five pounds
a-year, and my board! And Mr. Tag-rag--eugh! what a beast!--is always
telling me how high he's raised my salary!! Thirty-five pounds a-year is
all I have for lodging, and turning out like a gentleman! 'Pon my soul!
it _can't_ last; for sometimes I feel getting desperate--such strange
thoughts come into my mind!--Seven shillings a-week do I pay for _this_
cursed hole--(he uttered these words with a bitter emphasis, accompanied
by a disgustful look round the little room)--that one couldn't swing a
cat in without touching the four sides!--Last winter three of our gents
(_i. e._ his fellow-shopmen) came to tea with me one Sunday night; and
bitter cold as it was, we four made this cussed dog-hole so hot, we were
obliged to open the window!--And as for accommodation--I recollect I had
to borrow two nasty chairs from the people below, who on the next Sund