A WINTER'S TALE.
Benevolent Person (recognising an old protégé). "Rogers, I'm sorry to see you in this condition! I understood you had taken the Pledge!"
Rogers. "You're qui' ri', Sir. Only y' see the Water's frozen 't the Main down our Street!"
THAT PRECIOUS DONKEY!
(An Episode in the Life of A. Briefless, Junior, Esq., Barrister-at-Law, in Three Parts.)
Part I.—The Coming into Possession of the Donkey.
"Yes, Sir," said my excellent and admirable clerk, Portington, "he came here three times, about a month ago. We thought he was mad, so would not let him in. But the third time he left that parcel and that letter. You see, Sir, they are tied together, and as there was a bomb scare on at the time, we did not touch them. That's how it comes, Sir, that you have not had them earlier."
I must confess I was a little annoyed. I frequently absent myself from Pump-Handle Court for days and even weeks together, and then I expect my clerical (I use the adjective in its non-ecclesiastical sense) representative to forward my correspondence.