large, might be able to recoup himself not concern many people, nor those more here for his butcher's extortion, if he likes so to call it.

than occasionally, so that travelling may safely be included amongst those items in the cost of living which have greatly decreased during a generation and a half. Those who may wish to make a comparison between the cost of travelling in England then and now will not be very far wrong in assuming that the outside places in a coach-journey corresponded in price to the present first-class fares. At least this is almost exactly the proportion in some cases, and, therefore, is probably not far from the average. Posting, of course, was vastly more expensive. For occasional trips, a horse and gig did not cost very much less than it would now, for some reason or other; whereas a saddle-horse was by comparison a very cheap luxury. It seems that, at Cambridge, for instance, one could be procured for the best part of a day for three shillings, whereas now from seven to ten shillings would be the least sum that would be charged for the same.

fashion, accessibility, and the commercial progress of the particular neighbourhood. The father, we find, paid 8ol. a year for his house. The son, for a somewhat larger and more convenient house, with

Another drain upon the purse is found in travelling-expenses. These are of course just as much a part of the cost of living as anything else. It needs no great penetration to see that if one man spends 100l. in entertaining his friends in the course of the year, whilst another spends the same sum in taking his family to Switzerland, these are both ways of enjoying life, and that, therefore, it would be the flimsiest of conventions to include one in the cost of living and to exclude the other. If the former finds that his income, in his own line of outlay, will not go as far by one-half, and the other finds that his goes further by the same amount, these are clearly to be regarded, on any broad and rational view of life, as compensating considerations to be set off the one against the other. The real difficulty in giving even the roughest numerical estimate here consists in the fact that so much of the pleasure When we come to house-rent we find, derived from this source is not a mere as we need not say, a considerable rise, cheapening of what was procurable be-but the amount of it is subject to many fore, but is the opening out of new satis- uncertainties, arising from change of faction which could not possibly be attained formerly. A fortnight in Switzerland, we assume, is a better article than one in Wales. A banker's clerk can command the former easily with a three weeks' leave, whilst his father could a smaller garden, paid 1257. The former, scarcely have done more than go there and back within the time. Hotel expenses have of course increased abroad, but then the quality of the accommodation has risen too. If people were content now with such inns as their fathers put up at, and chose to go to those parts of the Alps where such inns only are to be found, they would discover that the difference between, say, many parts of the Tyrol now, and the Oberland or Chamouni then, is by no means great, and dwindles into insignificance in comparison with the cost of getting to such places. The only item belonging to this class which has greatly risen is, oddly enough, just the one which was commonly supposed forty years ago to be about to suffer a terrible depreciation, viz. horses. As between the families in question, we find that the father could get a horse to suit him well for 30%., and was quite content with riding and driving horses at 257, and even 20/. The son never had the luck to be offered one of presumably equal value for less than from 40l. to 60%. This expense, however, is one that does

however, was considered rather low and the latter rather high for its neighbourhood; the true difference, as regards rent alone, would probably have been more like 30l. Rates and taxes have of course risen; but then here we get a quid pro quo, for most of the increase goes to pay for such things as drains, light, and police, luxuries that our fathers had mostly to do without.

Servants' wages, again, have risen, at least those of in-door servants, but to what precise amount it is not easy to say, owing to variations in respect of what they are expected to find for themselves. We shall not be far from the mark, however, if we reckon that the housemaids have risen from about 10%. to 157., and the cooks, perhaps, from 10l. or 127. to 187. Out-door servants have not apparently profited so much; the father and son each paid his gardener about the same sum, viz., one guinea a week. On the whole, the total rise in this branch of expenditure (amounting to about 150. a year) cannot be reckoned at more than 351. or 40%.

The only remaining outlay of a regu- some old articles or buy some new ones. lar and unavoidable kind seems to be The outlay, therefore, even if converted dress. Here, where fashion reigns su- into an annual equivalent, will be by no preme, at least in the case of the ladies, means inconsiderable. We have made we entirely abandon any attempt at fig- the best comparison we can, and conures. That they could dress cheaper if clude that there has been on the whole a they pleased we have little doubt, owing considerable saving in this direction. to the smaller price of cotton and some Few things have risen here, and some other cheap goods. Moreover, the have fallen very considerably. Amongst women in the poorer classes dress much the latter, iron and glass are, as might more showily now, which cannot be more have been expected, prominent. We than very partially accounted for by in- find that 30%. was paid for a drawingcreased incomes on their part. Men's room mirror, whilst one as good in every clothing does not seem to have varied respect could not now, at the outside, much. Some things, hats for instance, cost more than 10l. Fire-grates and are decidedly cheaper. Those who would other metal articles seem to have been not now without compunction pay more nearly double their present value. In than fourteen or sixteen shillings for the ordinary wooden furniture we do not modern silk hat, could not have bought notice much difference. Carpets are the old-fashioned "beaver" for less than cheaper; a good Brussels carpet costing twenty-six shillings; and if we may judge five-and-threepence a yard against the by the frequency with which the entry present four-and-sixpence or thereabouts. occurs it would not appear that the latter On a general review of the whole case, had much more vitality in its constitution we may say that the three main classes of than the former. Some things, like universal necessaries, viz. food, housegloves, are dearer; but in the most cost-accommodation, and servants' wages, ly part, viz., cloth garments, we cannot detect any difference worth taking into

account.

have all risen considerably; whilst the fourth, viz. clothes, may be regarded as but little altered. These comprise, of course, a large proportion of every one's income (we find, by a rough estimate, that in one of the cases under discussion,

total income), and the total loss upon them is not inconsiderable; according to the conjectures we have hazarded, this loss might, perhaps, come altogether to from 50l. to 80l. or even 100l. On the other hand, of the three occasional and less necessary expenses, viz. culture, travel, and what we have left under the head of miscellaneous, the first two show a vast diminution of cost.

We have now taken account of all the principal permanent sources of expense; but besides these there is always a margin, and in households where the circum-they amounted to about two-thirds of the stances are easy a large margin, of occasional expenses. One year the house has to be painted or the carpenters have work to do; another year a carriage is bought, or the garden altered or added to, or some kind of machine or implement is being constantly wanted. Most men have some kind of scientific, mechanical, or artistic hobby, and the gratification of these, or the procuring of presents for friends, often amounts in the aggregate to a considerable sum. These are far too variable things for us to try to take them individually into account. All we can say is that those which depend directly upon human labour, like house-repairs, have mostly risen considerably, owing to the rise in the workmen's wages; whilst those which involve much machinery in their production, like most kinds of mechanical appliances, have shown a decided tendency to fall. So these two conflicting influences may to some extent be set off one against another. Amongst the most important of these occasional expenses is furniture. Almost every one has to furnish a house completely at least once during his life, and a year seldom passes without his having also either to replace

Whether the saving under this head will suffice to make up for the loss under the other depends of course upon the circumstances of the individual case. It is easy to see what these circumstances are. Those whose incomes are but moderate, or who have large families, for instance struggling professional men, will find, of course, that the necessary expenses make up a very large proportion of the whole. They will, therefore, suffer by the rise of prices in these things, that is to say, they will not find that a given annual income will procure them as many and as good things as it would procure their fathers. On the other hand, men with large incomes and small families, will find that in such things as travelling and the various forms of men

tal gratification, they have a large and tears in her eyes, of the wonderful kindin some cases more than ample oppor-ness of every one. Her mind was in tunity of indemnifying themselves. The utter confusion yet as to anything that person who is best off of all is the liter- had befallen her; except that she had ary bachelor. His losses are but very some sense of having done some despersmall; much of what the butcher has ate deed, which had caused more trouble put on, the tea-dealer and tobacconist than she was worthy of. Her pride and have probably taken off; whilst in nine courage were far away. Her spirit_had out of ten of the things which he wants been so near the higher realms where to purchase he will find a saving, some-human flesh is not, that it was delighted times small, often considerable, and in to get back, and substantially ashamed of itself.

some cases enormous.

From Blackwood's Magazine.
ALICE LORRAINE.

A TALE OF THE SOUTH DOWNS.

CHAPTER LXXIII.

IN this present state of things, and difficulty everywhere, the one thing most difficult of all is to imagine greater goodness than that of Mr. Bottler. He had a depression that could not be covered by a five-pound note, to begin with, in the value of the pig-meat he was dressing scientifically, when he had to turn it all out to be frozen, and take in poor Alice to thaw instead. Of that he thought nothing, less than nothing-he said so; and he tried to feel it. But take it as you will, it is something. A man's family may be getting lighter, as they begin to maintain themselves; but the man himself wants more maintenance, after all his exertions with them; and the wife of his old bosom lacks more nourishment than the bride of his young one. More money goes out, as more money comes in.

And not only that, but professional pride grows stronger as a man grows older and more thoroughly up to his business, especially if a lot of junior fellows, like the man at Bramber, rush in, and invent new things, and boast of work that we know to be clumsy. If any man in England was proud of the manner in which he turned out his pork, that man was Churchwarden Bottler. Yet disappointment combined with loss could not quench his accustomed smile, or plough one wrinkle in his snowy hose, as he quitted his cart on the following morning, and made his best duty and bow to Alice. Alice, still looking very pale and frail, was lying on the couch in the pigman's drawing-room; while Mabel, who had been with her all the night, sat on a chair by her pillow. Alice had spoken, with

"What will my dear father say? And what will other people think? I seem to have considered nothing; and I can consider nothing now."

"Darling, don't try to consider," Mabel answered softly; "you have considered far too much; and what good ever comes of it?"

"None," she answered; "less than none. Consider the lilies that consider not. Oh, my head is going round again." It was the roundness of her head which had saved her life in the long dark water. Any long head must have fallen back, and yielded up the ghost; but her purely spherical head, with the garden hat fixed tightly round it, floated well on a rapid stream, with air and natural hair resisting any water-logging. And thus the Woeburn had borne her for a mile, and vainly endeavoured to drown her.

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"Oh, why does not my father come?” she cried, as soon as she could clear her mind; "he always used to come at once, and be in such a hurry, even if I got the nettle-rash. He must have made his mind up now, to care no more about me. And when he has once made up his mind, he is stern stern stern. He never will forgive me. My own father will despise me. Where now, where is somebody?"

"You are

getting to be foolish again," said Mabel; much as it grieved her to speak thus; "your father cannot come at the very first moment you call for him. He is full of lawyers' business, and allowances must be made for him. Now you are so clever, and you have inherited from the Normans such a quick perception. Take this thing; and tell me, Alice, what it can be meant for."

From the place of honour in the middle of the mantelpiece, Mabel Lovejoy took down a tool which had been dwelling on her active mind ever since the night before. She understood taps, she had knowledge of cogs, she could enter into intricate wards of keys, and was fond of letter-padlocks; but now she had some

thing which combined them all; and she could not make head or tail of it.

"I thought that I knew every metal that grows," she said, as Alice opened her languid hand for such a trife; "I always do our forks and spoons, and even mother's teapots. But I never beheld any metal of such a colour as this has got, before. Can you tell me what this metal is ?"

"I ought to know something, but I know nothing," Alice answered, wearily; "my father is acknowledged to be full of learning. Every minute I expect him." "No doubt he will tell us, when he comes. But I am so impatient. And it looks like the key of some wonderful lock, that nothing else would open. May I ask what it is? Come, at least say

that."

"It will give me the greatest delight to know," said Alice, with a yawn, "what the thing is because it will please you, darling. And it certainly does look curious."

Upon this question Mrs. Bottler, like a good wife, referred them to her more learned husband, who came in now from his morning drive, scraping off the frozen snow, and accompanied, of course, by Pollv.

"Polly's doll, that's what we call it," he said; "the little maid took such a liking to it, that Bonny was forced to give it her. Where the boy got it, the Lord only knows. The Lord hath given him the gift of finding a'most everything. He hath it both in his eyes and hands. I believe that boy'd die lord mayor of London, if he'd only come out of his hole in the hill."

afraid he'll be impudent when he grows much older."

"Aha, miss, aha, miss! you are right enough there," observed Mr. Bottler, with a crafty grin. "He ain't over bashful already perhaps."

"And where do you think he found this most extraordinary instrument? At Shoreham, drawn up by the nets from the sea! And they said that it must have been dropped from a ship, many and many a year ago, when Shoreham was a place for foreign traffic. And he is almost sure that it must be a key of some very strange old-fashioned lock."

"Then you may depend upon it that it is a key, and nothing else," said Bottler, with his fine soft smile. "That boy Bonny hath been about so much among odds, and ends, and rakings, that he knoweth a bit about everything."

"An old-fashioned key from the sea at Shoreham? Let me think of something," said Alice Lorraine, leaning back on her pillow, with her head still full of the Woeburn. "I seem to remember something, and then I am not at all sure what it is. Oh! when is my father coming?"

Your father hath sent orders, Miss Alice," said Bottler, coming back with a good bold lie, "that you must go up to the house, if you please. He hath so much to see to with them Chapman lot, that he must not leave home nohow. The coach is a-coming for you now just."

"Very well," answered Alice, "I will do as I am told. I always mean to do as I am told henceforth. But will you lend me Polly's doll?"

"But cannot we see him, Mr. Bot- "Lord bless you, miss, I daren't do it tler?" asked Mabel; when he is find- for my life. Polly would have the house ing these things, does he lose himself?" down. She'm the strangest child as you "Not he, miss!" replied the man of ever did see, until you knows how bacon. "He knows where he is, go to manage her. Her requireth to be where he will. You can hear him taken the right side up. Now, if I say a-whistling down the lane now. He know-Poll' to her, her won't do nothing; but eth when I've a been easing of the pigs, if I say 'Polly dear,'-why, there she sharper than my own steel do. Chit- is!" tlings, or skirt, or milt, or trimmings. Alice was too weak and worn to follow oh, he's the boy for a rare pig's fry —it this great question up. But Mabel was don't matter what the weather is. I'd as as wide-awake as ever, although she had lief dine with him as at home a'most." been up all night. Now, Mr. Bottler, "Oh! let me go and see him at the just do this: go and say, 'Polly, dear, door," cried Mabel; "I am so fond of will you lend your doll to the pretty lady, clever boys." So out she ran without till it comes back covered with sugarwaiting for leave, and presently ran back plums?'" Mr. Bottler promised that again. "Oh, what a nice boy!" she ex- he would do this; and by the time Alice claimed to Alice; "so very polite; and was ready to go, square Polly, with a very he has got such eyes! But I am sadly | broad gait, came up and placed her doll,

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without a word, in the hands of Alice, and then ran away, and could never stop sobbing, until her father put the horse in on purpose, and got her between his legs in the cart. "Where are you going?" cried Mrs. Bottler. "We will drive to the end of the world," he answered; "I'm blowed if I think there'll be any gate to pay between this and that, by the look of things. Polly, hold on by my knees."

CHAPTER LXXIV.

IN the old house and good household, warmth of opinion and heat of expression abounded now about everything. Pages might be taken up with saying what even one man thought, and tens of pages would not contain the half of what one woman said. Enough, that when poor Alice was brought back through the snowdrifts quietly, every movable person in the house was at the door. Everybody loved her and everybody admired her; but now, with a pendulous conscience. Also, with much fear about themselves; as the household of Admetus gazed at the pale return of Alcestis.

mitted a great crime? Will my father be ashamed of me?"

"He should rather be ashamed of himself, I think," he answered, for the present declining the subject, which he meant to have out with her some day; "but, my dear, he is not quite well; that is why he does not come to see you. And, indeed, he does not know—I mean he is not at all certain how you are. Trotman, open that door, sir, this moment."

The parson rather carried than led his niece into a sitting-room, and set her by a bright fire, and left Mabel Lovejoy to attend to her; while he himself hurried away to hear the last account of Sir Roland, and to consult the doctor as to the admittance of poor Alice. But in the passage he met Colonel Clumps, heavily stamping to and fro, with even more than wonted energy.

"Upon my life and soul, master parson, I must get out of this house," he cried; "slashing work, sir, horrible slashing. I had better be under old Beaky again. I came here to quiet my system, sir, and zounds, sir, they make every hair stand up."

Alice, being still so weak, and quite unfit for anything, was frightened at their faces, and drew back and sank with faint-now? you

ness.

"Sillies," cried Mabel, jumping out, with Polly's doll inside her muff; naturals, or whatever you are, just come and do your duty."

"Why, colonel, what is the matter Surely, a man of war, like

66 Yes, sir, a man of war I am; but not a man of suicide, and paralysis, and precipices, and concussions of the brain, sir -battle and murder and sudden death — why, my own brain is in a concussion, sir!"

They still hung away, and not one of them would help poor Alice across her own father's threshold, until a great scatter of snow flew about, and a black horse" was reined up hotly.

"You zanies!" cried the rector, "you cowardly fools! You never come to church, or you would know what to do. You skulking hounds, are you afraid of your own master's daughter? I have got my big whip. By the Lord, you shall have it. Out of my parish I'll set to and kick every dastardly son of a cook of you."

"Where is my father?" said Alice faintly; "I hoped that he would have come for me."

At the sound of her voice they began to perceive that she was not the ghost of the Woeburn; and the rector's strong championship cast at once the broad and sevenfold shield of the church over the maiden's skeary deed. "Oh, Uncle Struan," she whispered, hanging upon his arm, as he led her in; "have I com

"So it appears," said the rector, dryly. But surely, colonel, you can tell us

what the news is?"

"The news is just this, sir,” cried the colonel, stamping, "the two Chapmans were upset in their coach last night down a precipice, and both killed as dead as stones, sir. They sent for the doctor; that's a proof of it; our doctor has had to be off for his life. No man ever sends for the doctor until he is dead."

"There is some truth in that,” replied Mr. Hales; "but I won't believe it quite yet, at any rate. No doubt they have been upset. I said so as soon as I heard they were gone; particularly with their postilions drunk. And I daresay they are a good deal knocked about. But snow is a fine thing to ease a fall. Whatever has happened, they brought on themselves, by their panic and selfish cowardice."

"Ay, they ran like rats from a sinking