A MISER AND BONE PICKER.

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speedily in attendance, the old man raised himself in the bed. "I bequeath," said he, "to my daughter one hundred and fifty pounds, and forty pounds to each of my nephews." The attorney inquired if he had a wife. "No," replied he, "but I have two brothers, and another daughter, who have all behaved very ill towards me; and I shall leave them nothing." When asked to whom he would leave the residue of his property, should there be any; he replied, to Mr. James as a return for his kindness and humanity. At the same time he handed to the attorney a paper parcel, which, on opening, proved to contain securities for upwards of eight hundred pounds in the Bank of England. He died the next morning. It was fortunate for Mr. James that he did not despise the dirty and shabby looking old man. He had received him kindly, and his politeness won for him five hundred sovereigns, which was the amount remaining after all the legacies were paid. This singular character, who was seventy-five years of age at his death, had gathered together much of his money by collecting bits of bone and rag, which he had often been seen to pick up in the streets, and put into his pocket.

CHAPTER III.

TRADITIONARY RECOLLECTIONS OF JOHN OVERS, THE SOUTHWARK MISER.

John Overs, the Ferryman-His reputed Parsimony and Avarice -The Miser's Pretty Daughter-Romantic Tale of her Love Adventures-Black Puddings and provender for the KitchenHis stratagem to save a Meal-He feigns Death; his Servants' rejoicings thereupon-Its Fatal Results-His Burial—Mary Overs and her Lover-Her Misfortunes-Her Retirement from the World, and her Foundation of St. Mary Overs, Southwark.

JOHN OVERS was a miser, living in the old days when Popery flourished, and friars abounded in England. Some of his vices and eccentricities have been chronicled in a little tract of great rarity, entitled "The True History of the Life and Death of John Overs, and of his Daughter Mary, who caused the Church of St. Mary Overs to be Built." But in giving the particulars of his life, we do not vouch for their authenticity: the tract resembles too strongly a chap book to bear the marks of honest truth; yet the anecdotes are amusing, and the tradition of the miser's pretty daughter reads somewhat romantic.

John Overs was a Southwark ferryman, and he ob

JOHN OVERS AND HIS MISERLY HABITS.

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tained, by paying an annual sum to the city authorities, a monopoly in the trade of conveying passengers across the river. He soon grew rich, and became the master of numerous servants and apprentices. From his first increase of wealth, he put his money out to use on such profitable terms, that he rapidly amassed a fortune almost equal to that of the first nobleman in the land; yet, notwithstanding this speedy accumulation of wealth, in his habits, housekeeping, and expenses, he bore the appearance of the most abject poverty, and was so eager after gain, that even in his old age, and when his body had become weak by unnecessary deprivations, he would labour incessantly, and allow himself no rest or repose. This most miserly wretch' it is said, had a daughter, remarkable both for her piety and beauty; the old man, in spite of his parsimonious habits, retained some affection for his child, and bestowed upon her a somewhat liberal education.

Mary Overs had no sympathy with the avarice and selfishness of her parent: she grew up endowed with amiability, and with a true maiden's heart to love. As she approached womanhood, her dazzling charms attracted numerous suiters; but the miser refused all matrimonial offers, and even declined to negotiate the matter on any terms, although some of wealth and rank were willing to wed with the ferryman's daughter. Mary was kept a close prisoner, and forbidden to bestow her

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THE MISER'S PRETTY DAUGHTER.

smiles upon any of her admirers, nor were any allowed to speak with her; but love and nature will conquer bolts and bars, as well as fear; and one of her suitors took the opportunity, whilst the miser was busy picking up his penny fares, to get admitted to her company. The first interview pleased well; another was granted and arranged, which pleased still better; and a third ended in a mutual plighting of their troths. During all these transactions at home, the silly old ferryman was still busy with his avocation, not dreaming but that things were as secure on land, as they were on water.

John Overs was of a disposition so wretched and miserly, that he even begrudged his servants their necessary food. He used to buy black puddings, which were then sold in London at a penny a yard; and whenever he gave them their allowance, he used to say, "There, you hungry dogs, you will undo me with eating." He would scarcely allow a neighbour to obtain a light from his candle, lest he should in some way impoverish him by taking some of its light. He used to go to market to search for bargains: he bought the siftings of the coarsest meal, looked out eagerly for marrow-bones that could be purchased for a trifle, and scrupled not to convert them into soup if they were mouldy. He bought the stalest bread, and he used to cut it into slices, "that, taking the air, it might become the harder to be eaten." Sometimes he would buy meat so tainted, that even his

THE MISER FEIGNS DEATH.

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dog would refuse it; upon which occasions, he used to say that it was a dainty cur, and better fed than taught, and then eat it himself. He needed no cats, for all the rats and mice voluntarily left his house, as nothing was cast aside from which they could obtain a picking.

It is said that this sordid old man resorted, one day, to a most singular stratagem, for the purpose of saving a day's provision in his establishment. He counterfeited illness, and pretended to die; he compelled his daughter to assist in the deception, much against her inclination. Overs imagined, that like good Catholics, his servants would not be so unnatural as to partake of food whilst his body was above ground, but would lament his loss, and observe a rigid fast; when the day was over, he intended to feign a sudden recovery. He was laid out as dead, and wrapt in a sheet; a candle was placed at his head, in accordance with the Popish custom of the age. His apprentices were informed of their master's death; but, instead of manifesting grief, they gave vent to the most unbounded joy; hoping, at last, to be released from their hard and penurious servitude. They hastened to satisfy themselves of the truth of this joyful news, and seeing him laid out as dead, could not even restrain their feelings in the presence of death, but actually danced and skipped around the corpse; tears or lamentations they had none; and as to fasting, an empty belly admits of no delay. In the