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tions, and the consequence was, that a great many ladies who were walking leisurely up to the church for it was a very hot day to vote for Spruggins, were artfully decoyed into the coaches, and voted for Bung. The captain's arguments, too, had produced considerable effect: the attempted influence of the vestry produced a greater. A threat of exclusive dealing was clearly established against the vestry-clerk

a case of heartless and profligate atrocity. It appeared that the delinquent had been in the habit of purchasing six penn'orth of muffins, weekly, from an old woman who rents à small house in the parish, and resides among the original settlers; on her last weekly visit, a message was conveyed to her through the medium of the cook, couched in mysterious terms, but indicating with sufficient clearness, that the vestryclerk's appetite for muffins, in future, depended entirely on her vote on the beadleship. This was sufficient: the stream had been turning previously, and the impulse thus administered directed its final course. The Bung party ordered one shilling's-worth of muffins weekly for the remainder of the old woman's natural life; the parishioners were loud in their exclamations; and the fate of Spruggins was sealed.

It was in vain that the twins were exhibited in dresses of the same pattern, and night caps to match, at the church door: the boy in Mrs. Spruggin's right arm, and the girl in her left even Mrs. Spruggins herself failed to be an object of sympathy any longer. The majority attained by Bung on the gross poll was four hundred and twenty-eight, and the cause of the parishioners triumphed.

Some few months before Mr. Bung was prevailed upon to stand a contested election for the office of beadle, necessity attached him to the service of a broker; and on the opportunities he here acquired of ascertaining the condition of most of the poorer inhabitants of the parish, his patron, the captain, first grounded his claims to public support. Chance threw the man in our way a short time since. We had been expressing to him our surprise that he should ever have served in the capacity to which we have just adverted, when we gradually led him into one or two professional anecdotes. As we are induced to think, on reflection, that they will tell better in nearly his own words, than with any attempted embellishments of ours, we will at once entitle them

MR. BUNG'S NARRATIVE.

>>It 's very true, as you say, Sir«, Mr. Bung commenced, >> that a broker's man's is not a life to be envied; and in course you know as well as I do, though you don't say it, that people hate and scout'em because they 're the ministers of wretchedness, like, to poor people. But what could I do, Sir? The thing was no worse because I did it, instead of somebody else; and if putting me in possession of a house would put me in possession of three and sixpence a day, and levying a distress on another man's goods would relieve my distress and that of my family, it can't be expected but what I'd take the job and go through with it. I never liked it, God knows; I always looked out for something else, and the moment I got other work to do, I left it. If there is any thing wrong in being the agent in such matters not the principal, mind you I'm sure the business, to a beginner like I was, at all events, carries its own punishment along with it. I wished again and again that the people would only blow me up, or pitch into me that I wouldn't have minded, it's all in my way; but it 's the being shut up by yourself in one room for five days, without so much as an old newspaper to look at, or any thing so see out o' the winder but the roofs and chimneys at the back of the house, or any thing to listen to, but the ticking, perhaps, of an old Dutch clock, the sobbing of the missis, now and then, the low talking of friends in the next room, who speak in whispers, lest 'the man' should overhear them, or perhaps the occasional opening of the door, as a child peeps in to look at you, and then runs half-frightened away It's all this, that makes you feel sneaking somehow, and ashamed of yourself; and then, if it 's winter time, they just give you fire enough to make you think you 'd like more, and bring in your grub as if they wished it 'ud choke you as I dare say they do, for the matter of that, most heartily. If they 're very civil, they make you up a bed in the room at night, and if they don't, your master sends one in for you; but there you are, without being washed or shaved all the time, shunned by everybody, and spoken to by no one, unless some one comes in at dinner time, and asks you whether you want any more, in a tone as much as to say, 'I hope you don't', or, in the evening, to inquire whether you wouldn't rather have a candle, after you 've been sitting in the dark half the night. When I was left in this way, I used to sit, think, think, thinking, till I felt as lonesome as a kitten in a

wash-house copper with the lid on; but I believe the old broker's men who are regularly trained to it, never think at all. I have heard some on 'em say, indeed, that they don't know how!

>>I put in a good many distresses in my time (continued Mr. Bung), and in course I wasn't long in finding, that some people are not as much to be pitied as others are, and that people with good incomes who get into difficulties, which they keep patching up day after day, and week after week, get so used to these sort of things in time, that at last they come scarcely to feel them at all. I remember the very first place I was put in possession of, was a gentleman's house in this parish here, that everybody would suppose couldn't help having money if he tried. I went with old Fixem, my old master, 'bout half arter eight in the morning; rang the areabell; servant in livery opened the door: 'Governor at home?'

'Yes, he is', says the man; 'but he 's breakfasting just now'. 'Never mind', says Fixem, 'just you tell him there 's a gentleman here, as wants to speak to him partickler'. So the servant he opens his eyes, and stares about him all ways

looking for the gentleman as it struck me, for I don't think any body but a man as was stoneblind would mistake Fixem for one; and as for me, I was as seedy as a cheap cowcumber. Hows'ever, he turns round, and goes to the breakfast-parlour, which was a little snug sort of room at the end of the passage, and Fixem (as we always did in that profession), without waiting to be announced, walks in arter him, and before the servant could get out 'Please, Sir, here's a man as wants to speak to you', looks in at the door as familiar and pleasant as may be. 'Who the devil are you, and how dare you walk into a gentleman's house without leave?' says the master, as fierce as a bull in fits. 'My name', says Fixem, winking to the master to send the servant away, and putting the warrant into his hands folded up like a note, 'My name 's Smith', says he, and I called from Johnson's about that business of Thompson's' 'Oh', says the other, quite down on him directly, 'How is Thompson?' says he; Pray sit down, Mr. Smith: John, leave the room'. Out went the servant; and the gentleman and Fixem looked at one another till they couldn't look any longer, and then they varied the amusements by looking at me, who had been standing on the mat all this time. 'Hundred and fifty pounds, I see', said the gentleman at last. 'Hundred and fifty pound', said Fixem, 'besides cost of levy, sheriff's poundage, and all other incidental expenses'. 'Um', says the gentle

po

man, 'I sha'n't be able to settle this before to-morrow afternoon'. 'Very sorry; but I shall be obliged to leave my man here till then', replies Fixem, pretending to look very miserable over it. That 's very unfort'nate', says the gentleman, 'for I have got a large party here to-night, and I 'm ruined if those fellows of mine get an inkling of the matter - just step here, Mr. Smith', says he, after a short pause. So Fixem walks with him up to the window, and after a good deal of whispering, and a little chinking of suverins, and looking at me, he comes back and says, 'Bung, you 're a handy fellow, and very honest I know. This gentleman wants an assistant to clean the plate and wait at table today, and if you 're not particularly engaged', says old Fixem, grinning like mad, and shoving a couple of suverins into my hand, he 'll be very glad to avail himself of your services'. Well, I laughed; and the gentleman laughed, and we all laughed; and I went home and cleaned myself, leaving Fixem there, and when I went back, Fixem went away, and I lished up the plate, and waited at table, and gammoned the servants, and nobody had the least idea I was in possession, though it very nearly came out after all; for one of the last gentlemen who remained, came down stairs into the hall where I was sitting pretty late at night, and putting half-acrown into my hand, says, 'Here my man', says he, 'run and get me a coach, will you? I thought it was a do, to get me out of the house, and was just going to say so, sulkily enough, when the gentleman (who was up to every thing) came running down stairs, as if he was in great anxiety. 'Bung', says he, pretending to be in a consuming passion. 'Sir', says I. 'Why the devil an't you looking after that plate?' 'I was just going to send him for a coach for me', says the other gentleman. 'And I was just a going to say', says I 'Any body else, my dear fellow', interrupts the master of the house, pushing me down the passage to get me out of the way 'any body else; but I have put this man in possession of all the plate and valuables, and I cannot allow him on any consideration whatever, to leave the house. Bung, you scoundrel, go and count those forks in the breakfast-parlour instantly'. You may be sure I went laughing pretty hearty when I found it was all right. The money was paid next day, with the addition of something else for my. self, and that was the best job that I (and I suspect old Fixem too) ever got in that line.

>> But this is the bright side of the picture, Sir, after all«, resumed Mr. Bung, laying aside the knowing look, and flash

air, with which he had repeated the previous anecdote >> and I'm sorry to say, it's the side one sees very, very, seldom, in comparison with the dark one. I was once put into a house down George's-yard that little dirty court at the back of the gas-works; and I never shall forget the misery of them people, dear me! It was a distress for half a year's rent two pound ten I think. There was only two rooms in the house, and as there was no passage, the lodgers up stairs always went through the room of the people of the house, as they passed in and out; and every time they did SO which, on the average, was about four times every quarter of an hour they blowed up quite frightful: for their things had been seized too, and included in the inventory. There was a little piece of enclosed dust in front of the house, with a cinder-path leading up to the door, and an open rain-water butt on one side. A dirty striped curtain, on a very slack string, hung in the window, and a little triangular bit of broken looking-glass rested on the sill inside. I suppose it was meant for the people's use, but their appearance was so wretched, and so miserable, that I 'm certain they never could have plucked up courage to look themselves in the face a second time, if they survived the fright of doing so once. There was two or three chairs, that might have been worth, in their best days, from eightpence to a shilling a-piece; a small deal table, an old corner cupboard with nothing in it, and one of those bedsteads which turn up half way, and leave the bottom legs sticking out for you to knock your head against, or hang your hat upon: no bed, no bedding. There was an old sack, by way of rug, before the fire-place, and four or five children were grovelling about, among the sand on the floor. The execution was

only put in, to get 'em out of the house, for there was nothing to take to pay the expenses; and here I stopped for three days, though that was a mere form too: for, in course, I knew, and we all knew, they could never pay the money. In one of the chairs, by the side of the place where the fire ought to have been, was an old 'ooman - the ugliest and dirtiest I ever see who sat rocking herself backwards and forwards, backwards and forwards, without once stopping, except for an instant now and then, to clasp together the withered hands which, with these exceptions, she kept constantly rubbing upon her knees, just raising and depressing her fingers convulsively, in time to the rocking of the chair. On the other side sat the mother with an infant in her arms, which cried till it cried itself to sleep, and when it