“You oudacious boy! that’s the way you’re spoiled by foolish people giving you money.”

“Good-by, mother.”  So saying, I leaped over the board fixed up at the door, and was again down at the beach.  Indeed, I was now what is termed a regular Mud-larker, picking up halfpence by running into the water, offering my ragged arm to people getting out of the wherries, always saluting them with, “You haven’t got never a halfpenny for poor Jack, your honor?” and sometimes I did get a halfpenny, sometimes a shove, according to the temper of those whom I addressed.  When I was not on the beach, I was usually in company with Ben the Whaler, who, after my father’s visit, was more kind to me than ever; and there were several other pensioners who were great friends of mine; and I used to listen to their long yarns, which were now becoming a source of great delight to me; at other times I would be with the watermen, assisting them to clean out their wherries, or pay the seams.  In fact, I was here, there, and everywhere except at home—­always active, always employed, and, I may add, almost always wet.  My mother used to scold whenever I came in; but 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.