Down and Out in Paris and London

IN the morning after paying for the usual tea-and-two-slices and buying half an ounce of tobacco, I had a halfpenny left. I did not care to ask B. for more money yet, so there was nothing for it but to go to a casual ward. I had very little idea how to set about this, but I knew that there was a casual ward at Romton, so I walked out there, arriving at three or four in the afternoon. Leaning against the pigpens in Romton market-place was a wizened old Irishman, obviously a tramp. I went and leaned beside him, and presently offered him my tobacco-box. He opened the box and looked at the tobacco in astonishment: 'By God,' he said, 'dere's sixpennorth o' good baccy here! Where de hell d'you get hold o' dat? _You_ ain't been on de road long.'

'What, don't you have tobacco on the road?' I said.