Theinstinctiverevoltofhisspiritagainstpatronage，isaqualitymuchtoberespectedintheEnglishworkingman。Itisthebaseofthebaseofhisbestqualities。Norisitsurprisingthatheshouldbeundulysuspiciousofpatronage，andsometimesresentfulofitevenwhereitisnot，seeingwhatafloodofwashytalkhasbeenletlooseonhisdevotedhead，orwithwhatcomplacentcondescensionthesamedevotedheadhasbeensmoothedandpatted。Itisaprooftomeofhisself-controlthatheneverstrikesoutpugilistically，rightandleft，whenaddressedasoneof’Myfriends，’or’Myassembledfriends；’thathedoesnotbecomeinappeasable，andrunamucklikeaMalay，wheneverheseesabipedinbroadclothgettingonaplatformtotalktohim；thatanypretenceofimprovinghismind，doesnotinstantlydrivehimoutofhismind，andcausehimtotosshisobligingpatronlikeamadbull。
For，howoftenhaveIheardtheunfortunateworkingmanlectured，asifhewerealittlecharity-child，humidastohisnasaldevelopment，strictlyliteralastohisCatechism，andcalledbyProvidencetowalkallhisdaysinastationinliferepresentedonfestiveoccasionsbyamugofwarmmilk-and-waterandabun！Whatpopgunsofjokeshavetheseearstingledtohearletoffathim，whatasininesentiments，whatimpotentconclusions，whatspelling-
bookmoralities，whatadaptationsoftheorator’sinsufferabletediousnesstotheassumedlevelofhisunderstanding！Ifhissledge-hammers，hisspadesandpick-axes，hissawsandchisels，hispaint-potsandbrushes，hisforges，furnaces，andengines，thehorsesthathedroveathiswork，andthemachinesthatdrovehimathiswork，werealltoysinonelittlepaperbox，andhethebabywhoplayedwiththem，hecouldnothavebeendiscoursedto，moreimpertinentlyandabsurdlythanIhaveheardhimdiscoursedtotimesinnumerable。Consequently，notbeingafoolorafawner，hehascometoacknowledgehispatronagebyvirtuallysaying:’Letmealone。IfyouunderstandmenobetterthanTHAT，sirandmadam，letmealone。Youmeanverywell，Idaresay，butIdon’tlikeit，andIwon’tcomehereagaintohaveanymoreofit。’
Whateverisdoneforthecomfortandadvancementoftheworkingmanmustbesofardonebyhimselfasthatitismaintainedbyhimself。
Andtheremustbeinitnotouchofcondescension，noshadowofpatronage。Inthegreatworkingdistricts，thistruthisstudiedandunderstood。WhentheAmericancivilwarrendereditnecessary，firstinGlasgow，andafterwardsinManchester，thattheworkingpeopleshouldbeshownhowtoavailthemselvesoftheadvantagesderivablefromsystem，andfromthecombinationofnumbers，inthepurchaseandthecookingoftheirfood，thistruthwasaboveallthingsborneinmind。Thequickconsequencewas，thatsuspicionandreluctancewerevanquished，andthattheeffortresultedinanastonishingandacompletesuccess。
SuchthoughtspassedthroughmymindonaJulymorningofthissummer，asIwalkedtowardsCommercialStreetnotUncommercialStreet，Whitechapel。TheGlasgowandManchestersystemhadbeenlatelyseta-goingthere，bycertaingentlemenwhofeltaninterestinitsdiffusion，andIhadbeenattractedbythefollowinghand-
billprintedonrose-colouredpaper:
Commercial-street，Whitechapel，WhereAccommodationisprovidedforDiningcomfortably300Personsatatime。
Openfrom7A。M。till7P。M。
AllArticlesoftheBESTQUALITY。
CupofTeaorCoffeeOnePennyBreadandButterOnePennyBreadandCheeseOnePennySliceofbreadOnehalf-pennyorOnePennyBoiledEggOnePennyGingerBeerOnePennyTheaboveArticlesalwaysready。
Besidestheabovemaybehad，from12to3o’clock，BowlofScotchBrothOnePennyBowlofSoupOnePennyPlateofPotatoesOnePennyPlateofMincedBeefTwopencePlateofColdBeefTwopencePlateofColdHamTwopencePlateofPlumPuddingorRiceOnePennyAstheEconomyofCookingdependsgreatlyuponthesimplicityofthearrangementswithwhichagreatnumberofpersonscanbeservedatonetime，theUpperRoomofthisEstablishmentwillbeespeciallysetapartforaPUBLICDINNEREVERYDAY
From12till3o’clock，CONSISTINGOFTHEFOLLOWINGDISHES，BowlofBroth，orSoup，PlateofColdBeeforHam，PlateofPotatoes，PlumPudding，orRice。
FIXEDCHARGE4。5D。
THEDAILYPAPERSPROVIDED。
N。B-ThisEstablishmentisconductedonthestrictestbusinessprinciples，withthefullintentionofmakingitself-supporting，sothateveryonemayfrequentitwithafeelingofperfectindependence。
TheassistanceofallfrequentingtheDepotisconfidentlyexpectedincheckinganythinginterferingwiththecomfort，quiet，andregularityoftheestablishment。
PleasedonotdestroythisHandBill，buthandittosomeotherpersonwhomitmayinterest。
TheSelf-SupportingCookingDepotnotaverygoodname，andonewouldrathergiveitanEnglishonehadhiredanewly-builtwarehousethatitfoundtolet；thereforeitwasnotestablishedinpremisesspeciallydesignedforthepurpose。But，atasmallcosttheywereexceedinglywelladaptedtothepurpose:beinglight，wellventilated，clean，andcheerful。Theyconsistedofthreelargerooms。Thatonthebasementstorywasthekitchen；thatonthegroundfloorwasthegeneraldining-room；thatonthefloorabovewastheUpperRoomreferredtointhehand-bill，wherethePublicDinneratfourpence-halfpennyaheadwasprovidedeveryday。
Thecookingwasdone，withmucheconomyofspaceandfuel，byAmericancooking-stoves，andbyyoungwomennotpreviously，broughtupascooks；thewallsandpillarsofthetwodining-roomswereagreeablybrightenedwithornamentalcolours；thetableswerecapableofaccommodatingsixoreightpersonseach；theattendantswereallyoungwomen，becominglyandneatlydressed，anddressedalike。Ithinkthewholestaffwasfemale，withtheexceptionofthestewardormanager。
Myfirstinquiriesweredirectedtothewagesofthisstaff；
because，ifanyestablishmentclaimingtobeself-supporting，liveuponthespoliationofanybodyoranything，orekeoutafeebleexistencebypoormouthsandbeggarlyresourcesastoomanyso-
calledMechanics’Institutionsdo，ImakeboldtoexpressmyUncommercialopinionthatithasnobusinesstolive，andhadbetterdie。Itwasmadecleartomebytheaccountbooks，thateverypersonemployedwasproperlypaid。Mynextinquiriesweredirectedtothequalityoftheprovisionspurchased，andtothetermsonwhichtheywerebought。Itwasmadeequallycleartomethatthequalitywastheverybest，andthatallbillswerepaidweekly。Mynextinquiriesweredirectedtothebalance-sheetforthelasttwoweeks-onlythethirdandfourthoftheestablishment’scareer。Itwasmadeequallycleartome，thataftereverythingboughtwaspaidfor，andaftereachweekwaschargedwithitsfullshareofwages，rentandtaxes，depreciationofplantinuse，andinterestoncapitalattherateoffourpercent。perannum，thelastweekhadyieldedaprofitofinroundnumbersonepoundten；andthepreviousweekaprofitofsixpoundsten。BythistimeIfeltthatIhadahealthyappetiteforthedinners。
Ithadjuststrucktwelve，andaquicksuccessionoffaceshadalreadybeguntoappearatalittlewindowinthewallofthepartitionedspacewhereIsatlookingoverthebooks。Withinthislittlewindow，likeapay-boxatatheatre，aneatandbriskyoungwomanpresidedtotakemoneyandissuetickets。Everyonecominginmusttakeaticket。Eitherthefourpence-halfpennyticketfortheupperroomthemostpopularticket，Ithink，orapennyticketforabowlofsoup，orasmanypennyticketsasheorshechoosetobuy。Forthreepennyticketsonehadquiteawiderangeofchoice。Aplateofcoldboiledbeefandpotatoes；oraplateofcoldhamandpotatoes；oraplateofhotmincedbeefandpotatoes；
orabowlofsoup，breadandcheese，andaplateofplum-pudding。
Touchingwhattheyshouldhave，somecustomersontakingtheirseatsfellintoareverie-becamemildlydistracted-postponeddecision，andsaidinbewilderment，theywouldthinkofit。OneoldmanInoticedwhenIsatamongthetablesinthelowerroom，whowasstartledbythebilloffare，andsatcontemplatingitasifitweresomethingofaghostlynature。Thedecisionoftheboyswasasrapidastheirexecution，andalwaysincludedpudding。
Therewereseveralwomenamongthediners，andseveralclerksandshopmen。Therewerecarpentersandpaintersfromtheneighbouringbuildingsunderrepair，andtherewerenauticalmen，andtherewere，asonedinerobservedtome，’someofmostsorts。’Someweresolitary，somecametwotogether，somedinedinpartiesofthreeorfour，orsix。Thelattertalkedtogether，butassuredlynoonewaslouderthanatmyclubinPall-Mall。Oneyoungfellowwhistledinratherashrillmannerwhilehewaitedforhisdinner，butIwasgratifiedtoobservethathedidsoinevidentdefianceofmyUncommercialindividuality。Quiteagreeingwithhim，onconsideration，thatIhadnobusinesstobethere，unlessIdinedliketherest，’Iwentin，’asthephraseis，forfourpence-
halfpenny。
Theroomofthefourpence-halfpennybanquethad，likethelowerroom，acounterinit，onwhichwererangedagreatnumberofcoldportionsreadyfordistribution。Behindthiscounter，thefragrantsoupwassteamingindeepcans，andthebest-cookedofpotatoeswerefishedoutofsimilarreceptacles。Nothingtoeatwastouchedwithhishand。Everywaitresshadherowntablestoattendto。Assoonasshesawanewcustomerseathimselfatoneofhertables，shetookfromthecounterallhisdinner-hissoup，potatoes，meat，andpudding-pileditupdexterouslyinhertwohands，setitbeforehim，andtookhisticket。Thisservingofthewholedinneratonce，hadbeenfoundgreatlytosimplifythebusinessofattendance，andwasalsopopularwiththecustomers:whowerethusenabledtovarythemealbyvaryingtheroutineofdishes:
beginningwithsoup-to-day，puttingsoupinthemiddleto-morrow，puttingsoupattheendthedayafterto-morrow，andringingsimilarchangesonmeatandpudding。Therapiditywithwhicheverynew-comergotserved，wasremarkable；andthedexteritywithwhichthewaitressesquitenewtotheartamonthbeforedischargedtheirduty，wasasagreeabletosee，astheneatsmartnesswithwhichtheyworetheirdressandhaddressedtheirhair。
IfIseldomsawbetterwaiting，soIcertainlyneveratebettermeat，potatoes，orpudding。Andthesoupwasanhonestandstoutsoup，withriceandbarleyinit，and’littlemattersfortheteethtotouch，’ashadbeenobservedtomebymyfriendbelowstairsalreadyquoted。Thedinner-service，too，wasneitherconspicuouslyhideousforHighArtnorforLowArt，butwasofapleasantandpureappearance。Concerningtheviandsandtheircookery，onelastremark。IdinedatmyclubinPall-Mallaforesaid，afewdaysafterwards，forexactlytwelvetimesthemoney，andnothalfaswell。