Or,

Upon the Constables first going out. The world by sin is so degenerate grown, Scarce can we strictly call our own, our own; But by the patronage your watch affords, The thief in vain shall 'tempt the tradesman's hoards:

Their nightly ease enjoys each happy pair, Secure as those who first in Eden were: When willing quires of angels, as they slept, O'er their soft slumbers watchful centry kept.*

DOLEING DAY.

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book. Maidstone, 20th Dec. 1825.

Sir, There is a custom prevalent in this neighbourhood, and without doubt at other places, to which I beg to call your attention. The subject to which I allude is the annual solicitation for charity on St. Thomas's day. It has taken place here from time immemorial; consequently my object in writing is to request you will favour us in your instructive miscellany, with the origin of the custom, if possible. I shall relate a few instances of its prevalency which come within my own knowledge.

poor

At Loose, near Maidstone, Mr. T. Charlton gives the of the parish certain quantities of wheat, apportioned to their families, in addition to which, his daughters give the widows a new flannel petticoat each; who, at the same time, go to the other respectable inhabitants of the place to solicit the usual donation, and it is not an uncommon thing for a family to get in this way six or seven shillings.

This custom is also prevalent at Linton, an adjoining parish; and I am informed that lord Cornwallis, who resides there, intends giving to the resident_poor something very considerable. At Barming, C. Whittaker, esq. is provided with 100 loaves to distribute to the resident poor on this day, which to my own knowledge is annual on his part; they likewise go to the other respectable inhabitants, who also give their alms in the way they think

best.

It may not be amiss to say, that the custom here is known by the name of "Doleing," and the day is called "Doleing-day."

If any of your correspondents, or yourself, can throw any light on this very ancient

• Beilman's Treasury, 1707.

As on this prevalent custom of the season there have been remarks, an anecdote from the Worcester Journal of 1760, before servants' vails were abolished, and soon after the battle of Minden, may be added.

At a young lady's rout there appeared a card hung to each of the candlesticks, with these words, "No card money, but you may speak to the drummer." In a drummer on a box, with a hole in the top corner of a room stood the figure of a to receive money, and the figure held a paper in its hand containing a dialogue between John and Dick, two of the lady's servants, wherein they mutually agreed, "Their wages being fully sufficient to defray all their reasonable demands, to dispose of the card money as a token of their regard to the Minden heroes; and, with their good young lady's consent, appointed the drummer to be their

receiver."

NATURALISTS' CALENDAR. Mean Temperature ... 38. 37.

December 23.

THE CHRISTMAS DAYS.

For the Every-Day Book.

Symptoms of the returning season of Christmas and its festivities are approach ing; for the rustics are standing at the street-corners with boughs of clustering berry-holly with pointed leaves, glossy laurel, and the pink-eyed lauristina :-the cheesemonger perks a dandy sprig of evergreen in the centre of his half butter tub, and hangs the griskins and chines at his doorposts: the show of over-fed beasts is advertised, and graziers and come-upto-town farmers, loiter here to see the

prize-cattle and prizes adjudged to the best feeders: butchers begin to clear all obstructions, and whiten their shambles, and strew sawdust on the pavement, and

Late one evening in the spring of 1817, the rustic inhabitants of Almondsbury, in Gloucestershire, were surprised by the entrance of a young female in strange attire. She wore leather shoes and black worsted stockings, a black stuff gown with a muslin fril! at the neck, and a red and black shawl round her shoulders, and a black cotton shawl on her head. Her height was about five feet two inches, and she carried a small bundle on her arm containing a few neeessaries. Her clothes were loosely

and tastefully put on in an oriental fashion. Her eyes and hair were black, her fore head was low, her nose short, her mouth wide, her teeth white, her lips large and full, her under lip projected a little, ber chin was small and round, her hands were clean and seemed unused to labour. She appeared about twenty-five years of age, was fatigued, walked with difficulty, spoke a language no one could comprehend, and signified by signs her desire to sleep in the village. The cottagers

were afraid to admit her, and sought the decision of Mr. Worrall, a magistrate for the county, at Knole, whose lady caused her own maid to accompany her to a public-house in the village, with a request that she should have a supper, and a comfortable bed.

In the morning Mrs. Worrall found her, with strong traces of sorrow and distress on her countenance, and took her with her to Knole, but she went reluctantly. It was Good Friday, and at the mansion, observing a cross-bun, she cut off the cross, and placed it in her bosom.

Paper and a pen were handed to her to write her name; she shook her head: and when she appeared to comprehend what was meant, pointed to herself, and cried "Caraboo." The next day she was taken to Bristol, examined before the mayor, at the Council-house, and committed to St. Peter's Hospital as a vagrant, whither persons of respectability flocked to visit the incomprehensible inmate. From that place Mrs. Worrall removed her once more to Knole. A gentleman, who had made several voyages to the Indies, extracted from her signs, and gestures, and articulation, that she was the daughter of a person of rank, of Chinese origin, at "Javasu," and that whilst walking in her garden, attended by three women, she had been gagged, and bound, and carried off, by the people of a pirateprow, and sold to the captain of a brig, from whence she was transferred to another ship, which anchored at a port for two days, where four other females were taken in, who, after a voyage of five weeks, were landed at another port: sailing for eleven more weeks, and being near land, she jumped overboard, in consequence of ill usage, and swimming ashore, found herself on this coast, and had wandered for six weeks, till she found her way to Almondsbury. She described herself at her father's to have been carried on men's shoulders, in a kind of palanquin, and to have worn seven peacocks' feathers on the right side of her head, with open sandals on her feet, having wooden soles; and she made herself a dress from some calico, given her by Mrs. Worrall, in the style of her own which had been embroidered. The late Mr. Bird, the artist, sketched her, according to this account, as in the engraving.

VOL. II.-104.

Caraboo,

The particulars connected with these recitals, and her general conduct, were romantic in the extreme. At the end of two months she disappeared; and, to the astonishment of the persons whose sympathies she had excited, the lady Caraboo, a native of Javasu, in the east, was dis covered to have been born at Witheridge in Devonshire, where her father was a cobbler! A very full account of her singular imposition is given in "A Narrative," published by Mr. Gutch of Bristol, in 1817, from whence this sketch is taken. After her remarkable adventures, she found it convenient to leave this country. A Bath correspondent writes as follows:

To the Editor of the Every-Day Book.

In the year 1824, Caraboo having returned from America, took apartments in New Bond-street, where she made a public exhibition of herself-admittance one shilling each person; but it does nct appear that any great number went to see her.

Z.