the fair sex. "In Little-Pedlington alone," thought I, "could be witnessed a scene so interesting and so edifying: never, surely, hath Charity in form so elegant been known to walk up the steps of a London

area."

Walked on towards Market Square. On my way thither met a gentleman who, from his dress, was evidently returning home from a very late party, for it was not much past seven o'clock. In walking he turned out his toes in a most exemplary style; and trod as lightly as if the streets of Little-Pedlington had been paved with burning coals. As he passed, he honoured me with a very low bow. His bow was remarkable. He lifted his hat, at arm's length, from his head, and, in stooping, almost swept the ground with it. On turning to look after him, found that this act of politeness was not intended as a singular compliment to me, for that he did the same thing to every person he met so that his hat was never out of his hand, and no sooner on his head than it was off again. Any common observer would have wondered that he did not wear out his hat: my wonder was he did not wear out his head. The constant friction had worn out his hair, for his head was bald. His person small, but finely proportioned; and his dress calculated to exhibit it to the utmost advantage. Black coat, fitted to his form with an accuracy which might have excited the envy of one of those wooden blocks we see at the doors of the London emporiums for cheap fashion: waistcoat white, from which rushed a cataract of shirt-frill, ornamented, as Mr. Fudgefield, the auctioneer of Little-Pedlington, would describe it -with an unparalleledly large [mock] diamond [which if it were real would be] worth, at least, three thousand pounds: black smalls: openworked black silk stockings, which set off a leg of exquisite formthough a fastidious eye, perhaps, might deem it superabundant in calf; and dancing pumps decorated with huge rosettes of black riband. Between the fore-finger and thumb of the left hand he held a small black cane, with a large black silk tassel depending from it; and, as if to show that he used it as an ornament merely, and not for support, he carried it with his fore-arm extended forward, and his elbow resting on his hip. Wondered who he could be-satisfied he was not one of the nobodies of the place.

In Market Square saw Hobbleday. Intended to inquire of him who was the remarkable gentleman I had just passed; but, as he was busily occupied-(for he was running about from stall to stall, and, with an earnest countenance, examining the various articles exposed for sale, whispering questions to the market-people, and mysteriously placing his ear to their lips to receive their replies)-I felt it would be ill-timed and improper to divert his attention from what was clearly an affair of some importance to him. Could account for the extraordinary trouble he was giving himself upon one of only two suppositions: either that Hobbleday was Official Inspector of the market; or that he had undertaken, as steward for some great entertainment to be given, to purchase the choicest commodities at the most reasonable prices. Did not long remain in doubt, for I was speedily joined by my obliging acquaintance. "Ha! so you're here, eh?" said Hobbleday. "Well; everything must have a beginning-sure you'll like early rising when you get used to it. Yet it is a pity you are so late."

"Late!" exclaimed I; "why it is but half-past seven!"

t Bless your soul, my dear fellow; I've been here these two hourssince half-past five-saw the first basket of cabbages opened." "He is Inspector, then," thought I.

"Prodigious advantage in coming here early-save fifty per cent. in one's purchases."

Withdrew my too hasty conclusion, and resolved that the other supposition must be the true one.

"Now see here," he continued; at the same time drawing a lettuce from his pocket: 66 now guess what I paid for this ?"

"I am not expert at guessing," replied I; "besides, as I am not a housekeeper, I am miserably ignorant of the usual cost or value of such commodities."

"But guess :-do guess."

I would not for worlds have it imagined that Hobbleday is a bore; yet, as a bore would do, he eleven times reiterated his desire that I would "guess." At length he continued; delivering the conclusion of his speech with an emphasis worthy the importance of the occa

sion:

"Well; since you can't guess, I'll tell you. Sir-I paid for this fine lettuce, such as you see it, only-one-penny!"

"And is it possible, Mr. Hobbleday," (exclaimed I, with astonishment,)" that you have been at the trouble of coming here at five in the morning to purchase a penny lettuce ?"

Trouble, my dear Sir! Bless you, it is no trouble to me: one must do something, you know. Besides, as I said before, I save fifty per cent. by it; I must have paid three half-pence for it at a shop." "But surely that is not your only purchase."

"My only purchase? Why, Sir, this lettuce will serve me two days. Now I'll tell you how I contrive with it. The first day I take my lettuce and

دو

Here the obliging creature favoured me with a long detail (which occupied twenty minutes) of his method of coaxing one penny lettuce into the performance of two days' duty. But as I have mislaid my notes relative to this point, I will not venture to trust my memory upon so important a matter.

"Pray pardon my curiosity," said I: "you come here at five in the morning; I find you busied in inspecting all the stalls, and asking questions of all the market-people; yet the upshot of all this is the purchase of

"What of that, my dear Sir ?" said Hobbleday (accompanying his words with a poke in my ribs ;) "it isn't for what I buy; but one gets at the price of things-one stores one's mind with knowledge; information. I'm no boaster; but"-(here he drew me down by the collar of my coat till he had brought my car close to his mouth, when he added in an emphatic whisper)-" but though I don't buy anything, there's no man in all Little-Pedlington knows the price of things as well as little Jack Hobbleday; and that's something to be able to say, eh?"

At this moment the gentleman whom I had lately passed crossed the market, bowing and bowing and bowing, as before. Inquired of my companion who he was.

"Who!—he !—that !"-exclaimed Hobbleday, in evident amaze

ment at my ignorance. "Who should he be? That, my dear Sir, is our Hoppy!".

With becoming reverence I looked after this celebrated personage till he had bowed himself out of sight.

"Judging by his dress," said I," he must have been up all night at some party or assembly."

Hobbleday looked at me with an expression of countenance and a shake of the head which convinced me that I had not, by my remark, raised myself in his estimation-at least for my notions of the proprieties of society.

Assembly!-Party! What can that have to do with his dress? Never saw him dressed otherwise in my life: sunshine or rain—morning, noon, or night. Really, my dear Sir, you seem to forget what he is. Dancing-master! and Master of the Ceremonies, too, of such a place as Little-Pedlington! how should he dress? Must excuse me for saying a cutting thing: but clear to see you have no Master of the Ceremonies of London."

Abashed by the rebuke, and unable to boast of such a functionary for poor London, I abruptly changed the subject of conversation. Thanked him for the letters of introduction which he had sent me to Rummins and to Jubb. Told him that, after breakfast, I should avail myself of them.

"O-ah!" said Hobbleday, with something like a show of confusion, which I attributed to regret at having just now so deeply wounded my feelings; "Ah!-surely! Have said all you can desire.-Ahem!-But you say after breakfast. Thought you were going to Hoppy's Public Breakfast, at Yawkins's skittle-ground, at one o'clock."

"So I intend," replied I; "but I shall take breakfast at my inn." "I see - you mean only to make a dinner of it, eh ?"

"Nor dinner neither," said I.

"How odd! Don't you see what the bill says?" said Hobbleday, directing my attention to a posting-bill which announced the Grand Public Breakfast.

"Yes, Mr. Hobbleday, I see: Admission two shillings, refreshments included '

He interrupted my reading with-" Refreshments ?-Tea and hot. rolls, my dear fellow-ham and eggs-you must pay two shillings whether you eat or not; so I always make it a rule to

I continued to read: "Refreshments included, ad libitum.” "Pooh! nonsense!" exclaimed he; "limit 'em, indeed! The bill says so, to be sure; limit who they please, they don't limit little Jack Hobbleday, that I can tell you. No, no, my dear fellow; pay my two shillings no trifle you know-so I make it serve me for breakfast and dinner both. And, I say"-(here he brought my ear in contact with his mouth, as before, at the same time honouring me with another poke in the ribs)" And, I say; half the people who go there do the same thing, that I can tell you, too."

After a moment's pause," Now," continued he, "I'll carry home my lettuce; and then I'll go to our Universal-Knowledge Society, and read 'Guthrie's Geography for an hour or two; and then I'll take a nap for an hour or two; and that will just fill up the time till the Breakfast."

"A nap so early in the day !" exclaimed I, somewhat astonished. "Of course," replied he;" Nature is Nature ;"-(a philosophical reflection which I was not at the moment prepared to dispute;) and he continued: "Ah! my dear fellow, I perceive you know nothing of the pleasures of the advantages of early rising. Ah! for shame! You, who lie in bed till nine or ten, are as fresh as a lark all day long, eh ?— in the evening, ready for anything-read, talk, sing, dance-no wish for bed; no enjoyment of your natural rest, as I have. But I—when eight o'clock comes can't keep my eyes open; and am half asleep all the rest of the day into the bargain."

Eleven o'clock.-Two hours to spare between this and the time fixed for the Master of the Ceremonies' Breakfast. Rummins's public day for exhibiting his museum is Friday; but as his " dear friend," and my most obliging acquaintance (who has, as he assured me, " the privilege of introducing a friend there on any day of the week") has furnished me with a flattering letter of introduction to the great antiquary, I will at once avail myself of the advantage of it. Under such auspices as Hobbleday's I feel confident of an agreeable reception. But, for my own satisfaction, let me once more refer to the exact words of Hobbleday's kind note to me:

"Dear Sir,-Sorry cannot have pleasure of accompanying you to my dear friend Rummins, neither to my worthy friend Jubb. Send letters of introduction-spoke in warmest terms-all you can desire. Believe me, my dear Sir, your most truly affectionate friend, "JOHN HOBBLEDAY."

"Most truly affectionate friend!" Kind, obliging, warm-hearted Hobbleday! Yet this is the man stigmatized by Scorewell as a humbug! O, Friendship! spontaneous as it is disinterested and pure! O, shades of Castor and of Pollux! O Pylades! and Orestes, O! You, ye sublime exemplars of the noble passion! If ever-About to proceed to Rummins's I have not time to work out my apostrophe in a way worthy of the subject. But what I mean to say is this: let those who complain that Friendship is not to be found on the surface of our wicked world-a complaint which I do most devoutly believe to be rarely well grounded except in the case of such as do not deserve to find it-let them, I say, try Little-Pedlington.

To the residence of Simcox Rummins, Esq., F.S.A. The door opened by a little, slim woman, aged and tottering-the finest specimen of the living antiquities of the place I had yet seen-an appropriate appendage to the domestic establishment of the F.S.A. Her age (as I was afterwards told) ninety-four. Asked me if I wanted to see little Master." "Little Master! No," replied I; "my visit, my good lady, is to Mr. Rummins, the elder, who is, as I am informed, a gentleman of near sixty."

"That's him, Sir," rejoined the old woman, as she ushered me into a small parlour; "but that's the name he has always gone by with me, and it's natural enough, for I was his nurse and weaned the dear babby when he was only three weeks old-as fine a babby as ever war-and he has never been out of my sight never since." (Without halting in her speech she pointed to a drawing suspended over a buffet.) "There he is, bless him! done when he was only three years old over the cupboard

with a dog behind him in sky-blue jacket and trowsers with sugar-loaf buttons running arter a butterfly in a brown beaver hat just afore he was taken with the small-pox with a Brussells lace collar to his shirt and an orange in his hand which he bore like an angel though the poor dear babby's sufferings-"

"Thankee, thankee, thankee," cried I, forcing a passage through her speech; "but if you will have the kindness to inform Mr.-"

It was in vain for (unlike the generality of ladies of her vocation, who are usually not over-communicative of their information concerning the early diseases, sufferings, and escapes of their interesting charges) she bestowed on me a particular account of the "poor dear babby's" (the present illustrious F.S.A.'s) progress through the small-pox, chickenpox, measles, hooping-cough, rash, rush, thrush, mumps, dumps, croup, roup, and forty other sublime inventions, which I had, or had not, before heard of, for diminishing the numbers of the infantine population; nor did she cease till she had safely conveyed him through the scarlet fever which" took him "-happily, not off-in his fifteenth year. She then withdrew to inform Mr. Rummins of my visit.

Cannot say that I felt at all obliged to the old lady for the information, since it must, to a certain extent, diminish my interest in little master's "Life and Times," which is preparing for the press by Jubb, who will, doubtless, treat of those matters with becoming minuteness.

Being left alone, read the various printed "schemes," "projects," and "prospectuses," which were scattered about the tables. The great Antiquary's learning almost equalled by his philanthropy and patriotism. All conceived with a view to the benefit of the empire at large; but, as might be expected, to that of Little-Pedlington more particularly; and -as it somehow struck me-most particularly to the advantage of Simcox Rummins, Esq., F.S.A., himself. Amongst many others were the two or three following:

Prospectus of a NATIONAL EDITION of Rummins's Antiquities of Little-Pedlington.

"When we reflect on the march of intellect: when we reflect on the spread of intelligence: when we reflect on the improvements in the arts of printing and engraving: when we reflect on steam-boats and railroads: when we reflect on the facility with which all nations of the civilized world are brought into intercourse with each other by these means: when we reflect on their mutual anxiety, in consequence of such facility, to become acquainted with each other's Topography and Antiquities: above all, when we reflect on the growing importance of LittlePedlington; it cannot but be a matter of wonder and of regret that, although Troy has been illustrated by its Gell, and Athens by its Stuart, our town should not as yet have put forth a work worthy of its station in the map of Europe, and capable of satisfying the growing desires of society in its present more enlightened state. It is true that Mr. Rummins's Antiquities' in a small duodecimo volume (to be had of the author, price one-and-sixpence) may be an admirable vademecum and pocket companion for the traveller, and which no traveller should be without' (See Little-Pedlington Weekly Observer,' 25th April) yet, as that intelligent journal adds, 'a splendid edition, worthy of our town, and fit for the shelves of the library, is still a desideratum;