Nothing much new.  A girl here took a watch the other day from another girl, and the one who lost it said:  “Give it back to me and I won’t hurt you.”  But the other girl said “No,” and so they sent for the constable.  He took the girl to the station (or carriage), and just before she got there she put her hand in her pocket and threw it away, and the policeman picked it up.  So they sent her to prison.

I have no horse, and can’t get any money to buy none.  My dear daughter, if you could send me a few pounds it would be agreeable.  I carry my traps on my back now.  I saw my uncle the other day among a lot of Gipsies, all drinking.  There were the women fighting there, and the men fighting, and there was a great shindy, some with black eyes, and some with heads cut so that the blood ran down on the road.  There were two or three pounds to pay in the morning for the horses and asses that were in the pound.

Your brother has got a capital horse that can go along the road nicely.  L—–­, too, has a large fine horse.  He went to the fair in —–­ with a broken-winded horse and a glandered.  You could have killed that horse and nobody said a word to you.  I gave it some lard to stop his breathing, and I sold it for nine pound to a gentleman whom you know well.

Lotty was at the fair telling fortunes to the ladies.  She got some excellent food, and her apron was quite full, when she saw her husband and cried out:  “Come here!  I’ve got some nice victuals!” She said to a girl:  “Put you money in your hand and I’ll tell you your fortune.”  And she took half a sovereign from the lady.  She told her:  “You love a gentleman who is far away.  He is dark, and there is another gentleman, a fair-haired man that loves you, and you’ll soon get a letter.  You’ll marry before two years, and be the mother of three children.”

There was a horse going with a waggon along the road; and I saw a youth, and asked him, “How much money?” (for the horse), and he replied to me, “Ten pounds.”  I said, “Is that your horse?” “Yes.”  Well, a Gipsy gave him ten pounds for the horse, and sold it for twelve pounds to a great gentleman.  It was a good black horse, with a (handsome) strong leg (literally large), but it had a bad foot; it was the near foot, and it was a kicker.  He gave it some opium medicament to keep quiet (literally to stop there), and held his rein (i.e., trotted him so as to show his pace, and conceal his faults) on the road.

At the cock-shy a gentleman came, and Wantelo halloed out, “Three sticks for a penny, eighteen for a sixpence!” And the gentleman took a stick, and we had five shillings for three dozen throws!  The gentleman played well, and got five cocoanuts, and took us to his carriage and gave me three glasses of brandy, so that I was almost drunk.  He was a good gentleman, and his lady was as good as her husband.

There was another man playing; and I said, “Set the sticks more back, set ’em there; don’t go further or he’ll get all the things!  Set ’em back!” A Gipsy girl talked to the gentlemen (i.e., persuaded them to play), and got fifteen shillings from one.  And no more to-day from your dear brother,