THE PICKWICK PAPERS (illustrated, complete, and unabridged)

and setting all the good of the world against the evil, he came to the conclusion that it was a very decent and respectable sort of world after all.

regaled himself with moderation at the nearest tavern until it was nearly dusk,

idling about, apparently persuading himself that he was doing something with a spade and a wheel-barrow.

'he's in a horrid state o' love; reg'larly comfoozled,

'But my song I troll out, for Christmas Stout, The hearty, the true, and the bold; A bumper I drain, and with might and main Give three cheers for this Christmas old! We'll usher him in with a merry din That shall gladden his joyous heart, And we'll keep him up, while there's bite or sup, And in fellowship good, we'll part. 'In his fine honest prid

Above the hoarse loud hum, arose, from time to time, a boisterous laugh; or a scrap of some jingling song, shouted forth, by one of the giddy crowd, would strike upon the ear, for an instant, and then be lost amidst the roar of voices and the tramp of footsteps; the breaking of the billows of the restless sea of life, that rolled heavily on, withou

A CHRISTMAS CAROL 'I care not for Spring; on his fickle wing Let the

'come, Sir, this is rayther too rich, as the young lady said when she remonstrated with the pastry-cook, arter he'd sold her a pork pie as had got nothin' but fat inside.

'That's wot we call tying it up in a small parcel,