Sometimes，onholidaystowardsevening，hewillbeseentowalkwithaslightlyincreasedinfirmity，andhisoldeyeswillglimmerwithamoistandmarshylight。Thenthelittleoldmanisdrunk。
Averysmallmeasurewilloversethim；hemaybebowledoffhisunsteadylegswithahalf-pintpot。Somepityingacquaintance——
chanceacquaintanceveryoften——haswarmeduphisweaknesswithatreatofbeer，andtheconsequencewillbethelapseofalongertimethanusualbeforeheshallpassagain。ForthelittleoldmanisgoinghometotheWorkhouse；andonhisgoodbehaviourtheydonotlethimoutoftenthoughmethinkstheymight，consideringthefewyearshehasbeforehimtogooutin，underthesun；andonhisbadbehaviourtheyshuthimupcloserthaneverinagroveoftwoscoreandnineteenmoreoldmen，everyoneofwhomsmellsofalltheothers。
MrsPlornish’sfather，——apoorlittlereedypipingoldgentleman，likeaworn-outbird；whohadbeeninwhathecalledthemusic-
bindingbusiness，andmetwithgreatmisfortunes，andwhohadseldombeenabletomakehisway，ortoseeitortopayit，ortodoanythingatallwithitbutfinditnothoroughfare，——hadretiredofhisownaccordtotheWorkhousewhichwasappointedbylawtobetheGoodSamaritanofhisdistrictwithoutthetwopence，whichwasbadpoliticaleconomy，onthesettlementofthatexecutionwhichhadcarriedMrPlornishtotheMarshalseaCollege。