A Tramp's Wallet stored by an English goldsmith during his wanderings in Germany and France   By: William Duthie

A TRAMP’S WALLET;

STORED BY AN ENGLISH GOLDSMITH DURING HIS Wanderings in Germany and France.

BY WILLIAM DUTHIE.

DEDICATED, BY PERMISSION, TO CHARLES DICKENS, ESQ.

LONDON: DARTON AND CO., 58, HOLBORN HILL. MDCCCLVIII.

[ The right of Translation is reserved by the Author .]

TO

CHARLES DICKENS, ESQ., This Volume IS RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED, IN GRATEFUL ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF HIS SYMPATHY AND ENCOURAGEMENT DURING THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREATER PORTION OF ITS CONTENTS; AND AS A SLIGHT TRIBUTE OF ADMIRATION FOR HIS UNWEARYING LABOURS AS A PUBLIC WRITER, TO THE ADVANCEMENT OF THE WHOLE PEOPLE, BY HIS SINCERE ADMIRER,

THE AUTHOR.

PREFACE.

During a stay of three years and a half in Germany and France, sometimes at work, sometimes tramping through the country, the Author collected a number of facts and stray notes, which he has endeavoured in these pages to present to the public in a readable shape.

Of the twenty eight chapters contained in the volume, sixteen originally appeared in “Household Words.” They are entitled THE GERMAN WORKMAN; HAMBURG TO LÜBECK; LÜBECK TO BERLIN; FAIR TIME AT LEIPSIC; DOWN IN A SILVER MINE; A LIFT IN A CART; THE TURKS’ CELLAR; A TASTE OF AUSTRIAN JAILS; WHAT MY LANDLORD BELIEVED; A WALK THROUGH A MOUNTAIN; CAUSE AND EFFECT; THE FRENCH WORKMAN; LICENSED TO JUGGLE; PÈRE PANPAN; SOME GERMAN SUNDAYS; and MORE SUNDAYS ABROAD. Several other chapters were published in a weekly newspaper; and the remainder, together with the Introductory Narrative, appear in print for the first time. For the careful and valuable revision of that portion of his book which has appeared in “Household Words,” the Author here begs to express his sincere thanks; and to acknowledge, in particular, his obligation to some unknown collaborator, who, to the paper called “The French Workman,” has added some valuable information.

The desire of the Author in writing the Introductory Narrative was to present to his readers a brief outline of his whole journey, and a summary of its results; and to connect, so far as it was possible, the somewhat fragmentary contents of the body of the work. It was also hoped and believed that the statistical information there given, although of so humble a character, would be valuable as illustrative of the social condition of workmen in the countries to which they refer, and of a character hitherto rarely attempted.

Written, as these chapters were, at intervals of time, and separately published, each paper must be taken as complete in itself; and, as they are separate incidents of one narrative, occasional repetitions occur, which could scarcely have been erased, now that they are collected together, without injuring the sense of the passage. For that portion of the book which has appeared in print no apology will be expected; and, with regard to the remainder, the Author has rather endeavoured to avoid censure than hoped to propitiate it.