gambling nevertheless; why do not the
police interfere?

Here are some boys playing "buttons"--gambling again! This game is
good practice, too, and a capital introduction to that famous game of
youthful capitalists, "pitch and toss," for it is played in precisely
the same way, only that buttons take the place of half-pennies.

The road, gutter or pavement will do for "buttons"; a small mark
or "jack" is agreed upon, a line is drawn at a certain distance;
alternately the lads pitch their buttons towards the "jack," three
buttons each. When all have "pitched," the boy whose button is nearest
the "jack" has first toss, that is, he collects all the pitched buttons
in his hand and tosses them; as the buttons lie again on the ground the
lads eagerly scan them, for the buttons that lie with their convex side
upwards are the spoil of the first "tosser." The remaining buttons are
collected by the second, who tosses, and then collects his spoil, and
so on till the buttons are all lost and won. The boy whose buttons are
farthest from "jack" of course gets the last and least opportunity. When
playing for halfpence, "heads or tails" is the deciding factor.

Why, you say, of course it is a game of skill, just as much as bowls or
quoits; but there are also elements of luck about "pitch and toss" which
gives it an increased attraction.

Sunday in the underworld is the great day for "pitch and toss," for many
boys have halfpence on that day. They have been at work during the week,
and, having commenced work, their Sunday-school days are at an end. And
having a few halfpence they can indulge their long-continued and fervent
hope of discarding "buttons" and playing the man by using halfpence.

But how they enjoy it! how intent they are upon it. Sunday morning will
turn to midday, and midday to evening before they are tired of it! Meal
times, or the substitute for meal times, pass, and they remain at it!
always supposing their halfpence last, and the police do not interfere,
the latter being the most likely.

It takes an interminably long time to dispossess a lad of six halfpence
at this game; fortune is not so fickle as may be supposed. The unskilled
"pitcher" may have luck in "tossing," while the successful "pitcher" may
be an unlucky "tosser." If at the end of a long day they come off pretty
equal, they have had an ideal day.

But they have had their ups and downs, their alternations of joy and
despair. Sometimes a boy may win a