My own exclusive breakfast of a penny loaf and a pennyworth of milk, I provided myself.

I kept another small loaf, and a modicum of cheese, on a particular shelf of a particular cupboard, to make my supper on when I came back at night.

This made a hole in the six or seven shillings, I know well; and I was out at the warehouse all day, and had to support myself on that money all the week.

From Monday morning until Saturday night, I had no advice, no counsel, no encouragement, no consolation, no assistance, no support, of any kind, from anyone, that I can call to mind, as I hope to go to heaven! I was so young and childish, and so little qualified--how could I be otherwise ?--to undertake the whole charge of my own existence, that often, in going to Murdstone and Grinby's, of a morning, I could not resist the stale pastry put out for sale at half-price at the pastrycooks' doors, and spent in that the money I should have kept for my dinner.

Then, I went without my dinner, or bought a roll or a slice of pudding.