Faces and Places

igh Street, Rochester,

rrow passage to the le

ere open, and as they

xcept, perhaps, those o

sat down as near as be

going on, and even to

and soothing to hear

and the grand deep ton

f, and rolling round th

e there besides myself,

assembly. As soon as t

the choir filed out, a

depa

sit where I was all nig

ve slept on worse beds

rs. But presently the

that I was not a pers

sked me if I was going

't mind; but he did, an

to cl

re to go to?" asked th

f

particular,"

for Christmas-eve. Wh

ts'

's Wa

Street, where you'll g

he morning if you can sh

. There's old Watts's m

rick he was, who not onl

money for the re

good old Doctor whose

ing that the day would

re substantial nourish

to get a night's lodg

tly a better game, and

to proceed in order

left the

d-hearted fellow, I am

He seemed struck with

d nowhere particular

arcely be expected to b

tts's he was fumbling i

ng if he had there a th

mediately handy, and b

ficient provision whic

isfaction to his chari

g me a kindly good-nigh

ice-office, where, it se

a preliminar

ssing through a sort of

-looking house, which I

ffice. But it was, and t

the yard. They didn't s

if they had walked far,

ck. The verger had told

to Watts's, and ther

ne of them, a little, sh

d down over his forehe

ita

es

to-night. There's seve

ser

ng 'un," said an elderl

's afore half-past five

e rest

o I loafed about with

pt the elderly man till

hem the weight of the o

lice-sergeant appeared a

sa

w t

erpreted as a signal t

r line. The sergeant l

ighted upon th

ying it on ag

or two months, if I m

mpered the

y week that I know of, a

entleman went off with

I had felt at his disin

ance, suggesting, as i

ning admission was

the eye of the police-s

do you

lodging a

workmen on the tramp. Y

out my hands, and the p

ms crit

are

er sta

ave you

om Canterb

do yo

when I can

re you g

Lond

money have

-halfp

um

murder had recently bee

ee answered to the des

, the unfortunate circu

run me through and thro

es, and why he should h

, he seemed to have

ot the person wanted fo

he said, "

e of the snuggest litt

some tramping, and too

, whilst the remaining

t through a sort of mino

y the sergeant came in w

, taking us one by one,

r," our several names,

ames of the last place

ing. Then, taking up a

it, and filling in f

he bade us

e-office--which put u

ral regarded as a slee

ody said faced the Ses

we stopped before an o

p lit above the doorw

tone. I read it then an

xt morning.

D WATT

l dated 22

d this

poor tra

ng Rogues,

gratis, fo

, Enter

ur pen

ny of his

r of his

ment to hi

Esq., the p

sed thi

ly to be

insc

. 1

hen, as the verger had

eemed like going to the

upper to recite "How do

my fellow-guests, and

the good writer's

Kercham," said our cond

of the wh

n," replied an old lady

cap. "Have you got

men. Can you write

setting forth, in a book

," my name, age, occupa

of the other guests f

the sergeant, paying

riting, asked me to fil

r, we were shown into o

wash." My room was on t

may never be shown in

t feet square, nor was

he floor clean. A singl

lt walls, looked out o

of furniture, a somewha

was supposed to stand

e of the floor. The bed

of the earliest constr

this c

s, being Christmas-time

you can take one

leave it till I go to

quently to be than

came out, and was told

er side of the yard. H

by a fire, and in a fe

ry clean and (speaking

gry. The chamber, whic

ay, was about twelve o

ur bedrooms, was not re

l table stood at one e

s all. Over the mantel

llowing ins

is charity are each s

und of meat, one pound

ock in the evening, and

The additional comfort

hs, from October 18th

clothes and supplying

bed at eigh

except inasmuch as it a

till seven o'clock, an

forty minutes promise

e long day; but the p

ast six of a pleasan

ld roast beef in each

nting them in course o

loaves, and as m

s to dictate arrangement

w how tantalising it is

in in a slow and delib

e use of the pleasant y

nce upon the vis

seven we drew the bench

g at one end and lean

I was, I could not hel

matron implored a bles

lour. At any rate, she

d so, bending over our

oice and said w

t to receive out of Hi

ke you trul

ronoun with a capital

ham's rapid enunciatio

Mr. Watts's o

followed, and before t

d fallen-to upon the b

e done kind Master Wa

ld t

t, for I remember when

till eating and washing

m the half-pint mugs of

to the selection of the

t, fulfilled one of th

hing of the rogue in o

siognomy of the little

forehead, and perhaps

i

even when the plates we

ut a few crumbs left t

ng person coming in to

for the first time in o

began to exc

st and most commonplace

al conversation signal

e from?" "Things hard

sional "Did you hear te

ien there at the time?"

t my companions were r

two indefinitely self-d

orning from Faversham,

eenwich, and, sitting

o their weariness by no

goodnight," said the

himself out

g four quickly followed

s the absurdly early h

's guests had gone to

ily in the fire, and

s he was

miliar voice inquiring

opening my eyes beheld

l in one hand and a sma

r look was kind, and I

on the fire, and, putt

ter, said she would bri

yself for a bit, and if

and drink a glass whil

'll be c

Master Watts's fire,

n tobacco, the matron m

out the trials she had

n see its sixtieth ye

of Watts's, and knew

ed that after the re-m

l dwelling-house, call

ng, the closes, orchar

niture, should be sol

the Mayor and citizen

an alms-house then er

how he further ordaine

ooms, "with a chimn

six good mattresses or

urniture for the lodg

single

ome to see the quaint

-sergeant broug

s' book had been twen

ot nearly fu

d carelessly turning b

Dickens," with "Mark Le

well--his books, I mea

start, "Ha! has D

e matron, in her sharp

e told about i

whilst the old lady fl

a well-worn pamphlet in

" I opened it, and foun

rds for 1854. It was e

ening chapter, in Mr Di

in detail, the very hou

sup

ative, I, poor waif an

e great novelist as I

, calling at the house

ned permission to give

w he ordered the materi

n; how, when the feast

rkey, a greater prodiga

"it made my heart rejo

id to everything set be

jug of wassail" and th

wall-eyed young man

el was, at a given si

eed with to Dr. Watts'

r that made my mouth wa

loaf, and the unaccust

exclaimed, with wet

waited in Rochester al

and piles of bread and

u! he didn't do no

ere, as he says, and gi

tmas

e matron, with indigna

f years, forthwith demo

no hot coffee in the mo

Dickens and the Travel

ther

book testified that th

and not at Chris

d after that, and I lef

to which she had been s

My little room looked

brought sleep with me a

as happy as if my be

at of Buckin

d have been but for th

l Master Watts insist

wning across the full l

t up to the cold sky.

ntory--a sort of tall

rture, and after trying

bethought me of the su

lothes-horse, I leaned

rably as long as it kep

occasionally during t

it, and the exercise p

g we were called up, a

each with fourpence st

of hospitable

er," said the matron,

ode off towards the bri

n if you are pa

u,--I wil