that I did not mind; her greatest punishment was refusing me a clean
shirt on a Sunday. At last I picked up halfpence enough to pay, not only
for my food, such as it was, but for my own washing, and every day I
became more independent and more happy.

There were other ways by which money was to be obtained during the
summer season, which were from the company who used to come down to the
whitebait parties at the Ship and other taverns. There were many other
boys who frequented the beach besides me, and we used to stand under the
windows, and attract attention by every means in our power, so as to
induce the company to throw us halfpence to scramble for. This they
would do to while away their time until their dinner was ready, or to
amuse themselves and the ladies by seeing us roll and tumble one over
the other. Sometimes they would throw a sixpence into the river, where
the water was about two feet deep, to make us wet ourselves through in
groping for it. Indeed, they were very generous when they wished to be
amused; and every kind of offer was made to them which we thought suited
to their tastes, or likely to extract money from their pockets.

"Dip my head in the mud for sixpence, sir!" would one of us cry out; and
then he would be outbid by another.

"Roll myself all over and over, in the mud, face and all, sir--only give
me sixpence!"

Sometimes I would perceive a lovely countenance, beaming with pity and
compassion at our rags and apparent wretchedness, and then the money
thrown to me gave me much more pleasure; but the major portion of those
who threw us silver for their own amusement would not have given us a
farthing if we had asked charity for the love of God.