unusually fine day for the time of year, and as they passed
along the Grand Parade--which faced due south--they felt quite warm.
The Parade was crowded with richly dressed and bejewelled loafers,
whose countenances in many instances bore unmistakable signs of
drunkenness and gluttony. Some of the females had tried to conceal the
ravages of vice and dissipation by coating their faces with powder and
paint. Mingling with and part of this crowd were a number of
well-fed-looking individuals dressed in long garments of black cloth of
the finest texture, and broad-brimmed soft felt hats. Most of these
persons had gold rings on their soft white fingers and glove-like kid
or calfskin boots on their feet. They belonged to the great army of
imposters who obtain an easy living by taking advantage of the
ignorance and simplicity of their fellow-men, and pretending to be the
'followers' and 'servants' of the lowly Carpenter of Nazareth--the Man
of Sorrows, who had not where to lay His head.

None of these black-garbed 'disciples' were associating with the groups
of unemployed carpenters, bricklayers, plasterers, and painters who
stood here and there in the carriage-way dressed in mean and shabby
clothing and with faces pale with privation. Many of these latter were
known to our friends with the cart, and nodded to them as they passed.
Now and then some of them came over and walked a little distance by
their side, inquiring whether there was any news of another job at
Rushton's.

When they were about half-way down the Parade, just near the Fountain,
Crass and his mates encountered a number of men on whose arms were
white bands with the word 'Collector' in black letters. They carried
collecting boxes and accosted the people in the street, begging for
money for the unemployed. These men were a kind of skirmishers for the
main body, which could be seen some distance behind.

As the procession drew near, Sawkins steered the cart into the kerb and
halted as they went past. There were about three hundred men
altogether, marching four abreast. They carried three large white
banners with black letters, 'Thanks to our Subscribers' 'In aid of
Genuine Unemployed', 'The Children must be Fed'. Although there were a
number of artisans in the procession, the majority of the men belonged
to what is called the unskilled labourer class. The skilled artisan
does not as a rule take part in such a procession except as a very last
resource..