their drunken parents to
attend the weekly addresses.

All this, and a great deal more, was related by Dick Moy with the wonted
enthusiasm and energy of his big nature, and with much gesticulation of
his tremendous fist--to the evident anxiety of Nora, who, like an
economical housewife as she was, had a feeling of tenderness for the
crockery, even although it was not her own. Dick wound up by saying
that if _he_ was a rich man, "'ee'd give some of 'is superfloous cash to
that there Grotto, he would."

"Perhaps you wouldn't," said Nora. "I've heard one rich man say that
the applications made to him for money were so numerous that he was
quite annoyed, and felt as if he was goin' to become bankrupt!"

"Nora," said Dick, smiting the table emphatically, "I'm not a rich man
myself, an' wot's more, I never 'xpect to be, so I can't be said to 'ave
no personal notions at all, d'ye see, about wot they feels; but I've
also heerd a rich man give 'is opinion on that pint, and I've no manner
of doubt that _my_ rich man is as good as your'n--better for the matter
of that; anyway he knowed wot was wot. Well, says 'ee to me, w'en I
went an' begged parding for axin' 'im for a subscription to this 'ere
werry Grotto--which, by the way, is supported by woluntary
contribootions--'ee says, `Dick Moy,' says 'ee, `you've no occasion for
to ax my parding,' says 'ee. `'Ere's 'ow it is. I've got _so_ much
cash to spare out of my hincome. Werry good; I goes an' writes down a
list of all the charities. First of all comes the church--which ain't a
charity, by the way, but a debt owin' to the Lord--an' the missionary
societies, an the Lifeboat Institootion, an' the Shipwrecked Mariners'
Society, and such like, which are the great _National_ institootions of
the country that _every_ Christian ought to give a helpin' 'and to.
Then there's the poor among one's own relations and friends; then the
hospitals an' various charities o' the city or town in which one dwells,
and the poor of the same. Well, arter that's all down,' says 'ee, `I
consider w'ich o' them ere desarves an' _needs_ most support from me;
an' so I claps down somethin' to each, an' adds it all up, an' wot is
left over I holds ready for chance applicants. If their causes are good
I give to 'em heartily; if not, I bow 'em politely out o' the 'ouse.
That's w'ere it is,' says 'ee. `An' do you know, Dick Moy,' says 'ee,
`the first time I tried that plan, and put down wot I thought