2 MAY-FAIR DAY AND

droves of sheep, and long trains of horses. Yellow
and green caravans, containing wild beasts and jug~
glers, and fire-eaters, had driven through the neigh-
pouring villages, giving to their inhabitants a
foreknowledge of some of the wonders and attractions
of the Fair. In the market-place of the town itself,
all had been stir and bustle for four-and-twenty
hours at least, and the inhabitants of the market-
place shops declared it to be their opinion, that the
people, with their booths, and stalls, and caravans,
had been up and busy the livelong night. And it did
look like it; for when, on that morning, they ven-
tured their night-capped heads between their window-
curtains for a peep, the whole open space was full of
booths and stalls; and here was to be seen the tall
sign-post of “ Thomas Rigley, licensed dealer in stays,
from Whitechapel, London ;” and here, “¢ James Ford,
cutler, from Sheffield ;” there, “ Morgan O'Grady,
the celebrated worm-doctor ; ” and beyond, “ Jonas
Solem, shoemaker, from Stafford,” close by the side
of “ Aaron Tagg and Son, earthenware dealers, from
Lane-Delf, in the Staffordshire Potteries :” whilst
behind all these, like a great yellow wall, on which
the morning sun shone dazzlingly, rose the four great
caravans of “ Roarem’s Menagerie,” flanked, on one
hand, by the blue caravan of the Fire-Eater, and on
the other, by the red-fronted tenement of the travel-
ling theatre. It was the beginning of a gay day—quite
a féte-day—and all looked so busy and wide awake,
that the night-capped heads were popped back again,
with the uncomfortable sense that they must have over-
slept themselves, till a glance at watch or time-piece,
or else the sweet chimes of the church clock, told them
it was only just six, and there was no reason to hurry.