spread  across  the  street  from  one  booth  to  another,  and
the  whole  place  was  redolent  of  pepper,  saffron,  ginger,
and  various  spices.  Behind  the  desks  stood  few  young
men ;  no,  they  were  almost  all  old  fellows  ;  and  they
were  by  no  means,  as  we  would  represent  them,  crowned
with  a  peruke  or  a  nightcap,  and  equipped  in  shaggy
pantaloons,  a  vest  and  coat  buttoned  tightly  up.  This
was  the  costume  in  which  our  forefathers  were  painted,
it  is  true ;  but  this  community  of  old  bachelors  could  not
afford  to  have  their  pictures  taken.  Yet  it  would  have
been  worth  wliile  now  to  have  preserved  a  portrait  of  one
of  them,  as  they  stood  behind  their  desks,  or  on  festival
days,  when  they  wended  their  way  to  church.  The  hat
they  wore  was  broad-brimmed,  and  with  a  high  crown ;
and  sometimes  one  of  the  younger  men  would  stick  a
feather  in  his.  The  woollen  shirt  was  concealed  by  a
deep  linen  collar ;  the  tight-fitting  jacket  was  closely  but-
toned, a  loose  cloak  over  it ;  and  the  pantaloons  descended
almost  into  the  square-toed  shoes,  for  stockings  they  wore
none.  In  the  belt  were  stuck  the  eating  knife  and  the
spoon ;  and,  moreover,  a  large  knife  as  a  weapon  of  de-
fence, for  such  was  often  needed  in  these  days.
Thus  was  equipped,  on  grand  occasions,  old  Anthon,
one  of  the  oldest  bachelors  of  the  "  small  houses ; "  only
he  did  not  wear  the  high-crowned  hat,  but  a  fur  cap,  and
under  that  a  knitted  cap,  a  veritable  nightcap,  to  which
he  had  so  accustomed  himself  that  it  was  never  off  his
head :  he  actually  possessed  two  of  the  same  description.
