“I won’t stay here haggling all day and such.”  “If you don’t give me my price like.”  The monosyllable as is generally substituted for that; “the last time as I called,” “I reckon as I an’t one,” “I imagine as I am not singular.”  Public characters are stigmatized by saying, “that they set poor lights.”  The substantive right often supplies the place of ought, as “farmer A has a right to pay his tax.”  Next ways, and clever through, are in common use, as “I shall go clever through Ullesthorpe.” “Nigh hand” for probably, as he will nigh hand call on us. Duable, convenient or proper:  thus “the church is not served at duable hours.”  Wives of farmers often call their husbands “our master,” and the husbands call their wives mamy, whilst a labourer will often distinguish his wife by calling her the “o’man.”  People now living remember when Goody and Dame, Gaffer and Gammer, were in vogue among the peasantry of Leicestershire; but they are now almost universally discarded and supplanted by Mr. and Mrs. which are indiscriminately applied to all ranks, from the squire and his lady down to Mr. and Mrs. Pauper, who flaunt in rags and drink tea twice a day.”

* * * * *

SONG.

TUNE,—­“Love was once a Little Boy.”

(For the Mirror.)

  Beauty once was but a girl—­
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Coral lips and teeth of pearl;
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Then ’twas hers, her arms to twine
  Round my neck, as at Love’s shrine,
  Soft I zoned her waist with mine,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Beauty’s grown a woman now,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Haughty mein and haughty brow,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Tossing high her head in air,
  As if she deems her charms so rare,
  Will ever be what once they were,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Beauty’s charms will quickly fade,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  Beauty’s self, erelong, be dead,
                                Heigho! heigho! 
  And should Beauty haply die,
  Shall we only sit and sigh? 
  No, Bacchus, no—­thy charms we’ll try! 
                                Heigho! heigho!

H.B.

* * * * *

ORIGINS AND INVENTIONS.

No.  XXIX.

* * * * *

GOING SNACKS.

During the period of the great plague the office of searcher, which is continued to the present day, was a very important one; and a noted body-searcher, whose name was Snacks, finding his business increase so fast that he could not compass it, offered to any person who should join him in his hazardous practice, half the profits; thus those who joined him were said to go with Snacks.  Hence “going snacks,” or dividing the spoil.[1]