of ingenuity displayed upon them; therefore, if a man like myself, for instance, finds himself annoyed by the litter that is made in his house, and the absorption given to every member in his family, he finds himself rewarded by the cleverness displayed, or the remembrance that his little paternal gifts have been laid out so wisely, and to such a good end, by his young family and their provident mother."
"Fudge, fudge, arrant fudge," said an old gentleman who had been sitting some time ensconced behind the "Times," which he now laid down with an indignant air—"positive fudge, as Birchell would have justly said!"
"You are of the old school, Sir Robert, I know; but, still, even you must allow that a fancy fair does good—many a sinking charity has been revived under its auspices, many a principle of care for our humble classes been implanted in the young heart, and—"
"Many a young fellow angled for successfully, you were going to say, but I deny the fact—the girls bob for eels, it is true; but they only dance or writhe round the hook for a time, and then sheer off, probably leaving the slime of unmerited reproach sticking to the bait. To a fancy ball, for the purposes of charity, I have no objection; for, there, every body pays for a ticket, partakes of a healthy amusement, and leaves a handsome surplus for a good purpose—there is no individual display, no injury done to the regular trader; in this case, it is poor helpless widows and orphan
