mad. In this manner, I, too, am treated; it is the common lot of genius; but, gentlemen, it is an honor to suffer in such company, and in such a cause." The "gentlemen" were greatly moved by this appeal, and every one of them who fancied there was anything the matter with him forthwith bought a box of pills. I passed by again in about half an hour, and heard Spurzheim, Harvey, Galileo, and Saint Paul again referred to in explanation of the obstinate incredulity of the human mind, which will not have truth at any price. From the professor's dictum I beg leave to dissent; it strikes me that the human mind is far too gullible, too credulous, too ready to receive for truth anything that comes in the name of truth—anything, whether a quack medicine for the body, or a quack medicine for the soul, whether a professor of mesmerism or an apostle of mormonism. I wish there was more scepticism, more of a spirit of inquiry, more of a disposition to submit everything to the decision of reason, and then the degrading superstitions and fanaticism which make such fearful havoc amongst our people would be scouted with contempt. We have too many soft heads and hard hearts amongst us; what we want are, hard heads and soft hearts-hard heads to make us wise, and soft hearts to make us good.

I have not quite exhausted my subject; there are other varieties of street life which are worthy of notice, and of which I intend to speak when we meet again.

LECTURE XIX.

THE STREET.-PART II.

I INTEND this afternoon to continue and conclude myremarks upon the phenomena of street life.

A greater misfortune can hardly befall an honest and industrious man than to be out of employment; in a large number of instances, men who are out of work have themselves to thank for their idle and destitute condition; they say they have been sacked, but when you inquire into the facts of the case, you find that they have sacked themselves. But amidst the fluctuations to which all trades are subject, it is very possible for the steadiest person to find that his services are no longer required, and when this is the case, such a person's first care is to get something to do. He cannot bear to be idle; even if he has been able to save something, and is not altogether hard up, so as to be obliged to draw upon the liberality of his uncle, still he is uncomfortable, he is even wretched, until he is at work again. Now in these times, almost everything is turned to profitable account, and as there are men who live by the idler's love of idleness, so there are men who live by the steady man's

love of work.

ment as this:

Hence you often see such an announce

"PROFITABLE EMPLOYMENT.-Persons in search of employment, either as a source of income, or to fill up their leisure hours, may hear of such by return of post, by which from £2 to £3 weekly and upwards may be realised in town or country, and by either sex-station in life immaterial-by enclosing twelve stamps, with directed stamped envelope, to Mr. W. A., F-street, London." This is very tempting; and one is inclined to ask wonderingly-What is the "profitable employ-ment?" How are the £2, £3, and upwards to be made? I never had the curiosity to inquire, but I have heard of a worthy fellow who sent his stamps to one of these fortune brokers, and was, by return of post, advised to try selling hot potatoes in the street, at night. It is no uncommon thing to see an advertisement which promises "A fortune for five shillings." Every day, a large number of men carefully and anxiously scan the columns of the newspapers, for advertisements of situations. Perhaps they little know the heartless trickery of some who advertise. A young man sees such very desirable information as the following: "Wanted, a respectable person, to fill a responsible situation, with a liberal salary. All communications to be prepaid, with a stamp enclosed." The fact is, that there is no situation at all, but if one or two hundred persons apply, the advertiser nets one or two hundred postage stamps-and the applicants hear no more of him; or it may be, that he writes by return of post, stating that the situation can be had for two shillings and sixpence, or five shillings,

so each applicant sends the required amount; the scamp clears, perhaps, £50! Write to him again, and your letter will come back through the Dead Letter Office. The same swindling practice is carried on by what are called "Servants' Registry Offices." The young man or young woman out of employment, and walking about the town in search of it, is attracted by a large board, bearing a great number of notices. All sorts of persons are wanted; one would suppose that the supply of labor was far beneath the demand for it. Merchants are in want of clerks; coal proprietors are in want of agents; wholesale houses are in want of travelers; drapers, grocers, and ironmongers want assistants; in all kinds of trades, apprentices are wanted; country gentlemen appear to be in great want of grooms, butlers, and gardeners; hotel-keepers seek for waiters, and the general public require housemaids, nursery maids, and good plain cooks by the score. How comes it to pass that so many people are out of employment? If we are to believe the registry offices, the demand is enormous and perpetual. But are we to believe these offices? Let the following case, which appeared a little while ago in our police reports, decide this question :

"Detection of a swindler.-A man named R. P., keeper of a Servants' Registry Office, No.-, L- Street, was placed in the dock, charged with swindling between forty and fifty young men, who appeared in court, by promising to procure them situations on payment of an office fee of two shillings and sixpence. R. L., the first witness, stated that he saw in the defendant's window an advertisement for a collector of the rents of fifty houses

for a retired gentleman, and made application by letter, at the same time paying the entrance fee of two shillings and sixpence. He never received any answer to his communication; and when he called at the office yesterday, he found that the letter had never been opened. J. H., a middle-aged man, had paid three half-crowns for situations as bailiff, coachman, and gardener, none of which he had obtained. The evidence of the other

witnesses was of a similar nature. * * * The prisoner was remanded for seven days, in order to afford time for inquiries to be made as to the extent of the prisoner's frauds; some hundreds of letters being produced, which contained valuable testimonials, and would greatly inconvenience the parties who had made such applications."

What "the extent of the previous frauds" turned out to be, I am unable to say; but here was a tolerable specimen; fifty men in one body appearing against him. It is very certain that this fellow's victims, men and women, must have numbered many hundreds. Here, then, is a specimen of the Servants' Registry Office. I should be very sorry to say that they are all alike; such an institution is capable of being very useful, for capital and labor are often in search of each other, but neither can very easily find the other; the Servants' Registry Office is a medium whereby capital and labor can come into communication; but still, the facts which I have quoted, and which are only a few out of many which I might mention, are sufficient to prove that persons out of employment are very unwise if they trust to the promises made at those offices. As I before said, a steady man.