The Works of George W. M. Reynolds — page 226: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

TWO FRIENDS 209 “ Quite intelligible, my dear fellow,” said Mr. Bealby. “‘T inserted an advertisement in a newspaper offering to in- struct any one who sent me five shillings’ worth of postage- stamps in the way of making three or four pounds a week. On receiving the stamps, I sent half a dozen practical re- celpts, —one for making cheap ginger-beer, another for soda-powders, a third for pomatum, a fourth for a dentifrice, a fifth for an antibilious pill, a sixth for a cosmetic, and so on. Now observe: the advertisement cost me seven and sixpence; it brought me twenty letters containing the stamps, that was five pounds. Deduct the expenses for advertise- ment, the little printed slips of receipts, the stationary and postage for replies, and I had at least four pounds eight to put into my own pocket.’’ “That was a lucrative thing,’ observed Ben Limber. “Why did you give it up? ”’ “It gave me up,” answered Bealby; ‘‘ it wore itself out. A number of other fellows imitated the trick; they cheap- ened the thing, they only asked for a shilling’s worth of stamps, and so it soon ceased to be worth while to carry on the business at all.’’ “ Well, what did you do next? ”’ inquired Limber. “T opened a servants’ bazaar,’’ responded Bealby. “ But how the deuce did you make a connection amongst servants? ’’ exclaimed Limber. “T never did make any. I charged half a crown for regis- tering each name in my book, and, you see, it was all clear profit.” “Well, but those who paid expected recommendations to places? ”’ “ Yes, and they got them too. I copied the addresses of persons advertising in the morning papers for domestics, and that was the way I managed.’’ “ But the thing could scarcely last,’”’ said Limber. “No more it did,” replied Bealby, with a smile, “ or else I should be carrying it on now. I was rather too fond of some of the pretty servant-girls that came to pay their fees, and betwixt you and me, Ben, the concern was cadlesly broken up by an unpleasant little incident which occurred.” “ How so?” asked Limber. “The fact is, I was had up before the magistrate on an accusation of trying to snatch a kiss from a certain pair of Eomichboo cS (E(0)