the patches of ground they cultivate for
themselves; within, a well-ventilated room, large
and lofty, cheerful pavement of coloured tiles,
a bar for serving out the beer, good supply of
forms and chairs, and a brave big chimney-
corner, where the fire burns cheerfully.
Adjoining this room, another:

"Built for a reading-room," said Friar Bacon;
"but not much used—yet."

The dreary sage, looking in through the
window, perceiving a fixed reading-desk within, and
inquiring its use:

"I have Service there," said Friar Bacon.
"They never went anywhere to hear prayers,
and of course it would be hopeless to help them
to be happier and better, if they had no
religious feeling at all."

"The whole place is very pretty." Thus the
sage.

"I am glad you think so. I built it for the
holders of the Allotment-grounds, and gave it
them: only requiring them to manage it by a
committee of their own appointing, and never
to get drunk there. They never have got drunk
there."

"Yet they have their beer freely."

"O yes. As much as they choose to buy.
The club gets its beer direct from the brewer,
by the barrel. So they get it good; at once
much cheaper, and much better, than at the
public-house. The members take it in turns to
be steward, and serve out the beer: if a man
should decline to serve when his turn came, he
would pay a fine of twopence. The steward
lasts, as long as the barrel lasts. When there is
a new barrel, there is a new steward."

"What a noble fire is roaring up that
chimney!"

"Yes, a capital fire. Every member pays a
halfpenny a week."

"Every member must be the holder of an
Allotment-garden?"

"Yes; for which he pays five shillings a year.
The Allotments you see about us, occupy some
sixteen or eighteen acres, and each garden
is as large as experience shows one man to be
able to manage. You see how admirably they
are tilled, and how much they get off them.
They are always working in them in their spare
hours; and when a man wants a mug of beer,
instead of going off to the village and the
public-house, he puts down his spade or his hoe,
comes to the club-house and gets it, and goes
back to his work. When he has done work, he
likes to have his beer at the club, still, and to sit
and look at his little crops as they thrive."

"They seem to manage the club very well."

"Perfectly well. Here are their own rules.
They made them. I never interfere with them
except to advise them when they ask me."

RULES AND REGULATIONS

MADE BY THE COMMITTEE,

From the 21st September, 1857.
One half-penny per week to be paid to the club by each
member.

1. — Each member to draw the beer in order,
according to the number of his allotment; on failing,
a forfeit of twopence to be paid to the club.

2.— The member that draws the beer to pay for
the same, and bring his ticket up receipted when
the subscriptions are paid; on failing to do so, a
penalty of sixpence to be forfeited and paid to the
club.

3.— The subscriptions and forfeits to be paid at
the club-room on the last Saturday night of each
month.

4.— The subscriptions and forfeits to be cleared
up every quarter; if not, a penalty of sixpence to
be paid to the club.

5.— The member that draws the beer to be at the
club-room by six o'clock every evening, and stay
till ten; but in the event of no member being there,
he may leave at nine; on failing so to attend, a
penalty of sixpence to be paid to the club.

6.— Any member giving beer to a stranger in this
club-room, excepting to his wife or family, shall
be liable to the penalty of one shilling.

7.— Any member lifting his hand to strike
another in this club-room shall be liable to the penalty
of sixpence.

8.— Any member swearing in this club-room shall
be liable to a penalty of twopence each time.

9.-- Any member selling beer shall be expelled
from the club.

10.— Any member wishing to give up his allotment,
may apply to the committee, and they shall
value the crop and the condition of the ground. The
amount of the valuation shall be paid by the succeeding
tenant, who shall be allowed to enter on any
part of the allotment which is uncropped at the time
of notice of the leaving tenant.

11.— Any member not keeping his allotment-
garden clear from seed-weeds, or otherwise injuring
his neighbours, may be turned out of his garden by
the votes of two-thirds of the committee, one month's
notice being given to him.

12.— Any member carelessly breaking a mug, is to
pay the cost of replacing the same.

I was soliciting the attention of Philosewers
to some old old bonnets hanging in the Allotment-
gardens to frighten the birds, and the
fashion of which I should think would terrify a
French bird to death at any distance, when
Philosewers solicited my attention to the
scrapers at the club-house door. The amount
of the soil of England which every member
brought there on his feet, was indeed surprising;
and even I, who am professedly a salad-eater,
could have grown a salad for my dinner, in the
earth on any member's frock or hat.

"Now," said Friar Bacon, looking at his
watch, " for the Pig-clubs!"

The dreary Sage entreated explanation.

"Why, a pig is so very valuable to a poor
labouring man, and it is so very difficult for him
at this time of the year to get money enough to
buy one, that I lend him a pound for the purpose.
But, I do it in this way. I leave such of the
club members as choose it and desire it, to form
themselves into parties of five. To every man