it is to find myself among them!"

"That's my boy! that's my own spirited boy!" cried the old woman,
dragging me towards her. "Faix, I seen the time we 'd have made
somethin' out of you. Howld yer tongues, ye vagabonds! the child's
right,--yer a dirty mean crew! Them!" said she, pointing to me, "them
was the kind of chaps I used to have, long ago; that was n't afeard of
all the Beresfords, and Major Sirr, and the rest of them. Singing every
night on Carlisle Bridge, 'The Wearin' of the Green,' or 'Tra-lal-la,
the French is coming;' and when they wor big and grown men, ready and
willing to turn out for ould Ireland. Can you read, avick?"

"Yes, and write," answered I, proudly.

"To be sure ye can," muttered she, half to herself; "is it an informer's
child,--not know the first rules of his trade!"

"Tear and ages, mother!" cried out the decrepit imp called Mickey, "we
're starvin' for the meat!"

"Sarve it up!" shouted the hag, with a voice of command; and she gave
three knocks with her crutch on the corner of the table.

Never was command more promptly obeyed. A savory mess of that smoking
compound called "Irish stew" was ladled out on the trenchers, and
speedily disposed around the table, which at once was surrounded by
the guests,--a place being made for myself by an admonitory stroke of
Betty's crutch on the red head of a very hungry juvenile who had jostled
me in his anxiety to get near the table.

Our meal had scarcely drawn to its close when the plates were removed,
and preparations made for a new party; nor had I time to ask the reason,
when a noisy buzz of voices without announced the coming of a numerous
throng. In an instant they entered; a number of girls, of every age,
from mere child to womanhood,--a ragged, tattered, reckless-looking set
of creatures, whose wild, high spirits not even direst poverty could
subdue. While some exchanged greetings with their friends of the other
sex, others advanced to talk to Betty, or stood to warm themselves
around the fire, until their supper, a similar one to our own, was got
ready. My curiosity as to whence they came in such a body was satisfied
by learning that they were employed at the "Mendicity Institution"
during the day, and set free at nightfall to follow the bent of
their own, not over well-regulated, tastes. These creatures were the
ballad-singers of the city; and, sometimes alone, sometimes in company
with one of the boys, they were wont to take their sta