Granting that the amount of enjoyment derived from these two entertainments is equal, though in all probability there would be more genuine and honest pleasure in the former than in the latter, the two sums simply represent the different standards of living. That ten or even twenty times as much may be spent to give people who are accustomed to a higher scale of living the same amount of pleasure is perhaps intelligible, but it seems to require a sum which amounts to one hundred and twenty-three times as much.
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Two bachelors take a night’s lodging.
The one, a working man, goes to —— House, S.E.
“Working Men’s Hotel, accommodation for 800 beds. 6d. per night.
Tea, coffee, and cocoa always ready, ½d. per small cup, 1d. per large cup.
Hot soup or porridge, 1d. and 1½d. per basin.
Cut from the joint and two vegetables, 5d. on week-days only; on Sundays, 6d.
Beefsteak pudding and two vegetables, 4½d.”
His night’s stay, with supper and breakfast, would cost rather over one shilling.
The other will go to —— Hotel, S.W. (for men who do not work).
| £ | s. | d. | |
| Room | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Dinner, with bottle of claret | 1 | 7 | 0 |
| Coffee, liqueur, whisky-and-soda | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Breakfast | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Tips | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| £3 | 0 | 0 |
(There are suites of rooms in these hotels for three to nine guineas a day, which are all occupied during the season.)
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