In London, with every pastrycook in the city, and at the west end of the town, it is “high change” on Twelfth-day. From the taking down of the shutters in the morning, he, and his men, with additional assistants, male and female, are fully occupied by attending to the dressing out of the window, executing orders of the day before, receiving fresh ones, or supplying the wants of chance customers. Before dusk the important arrangement of the window is completed. Then the gas is turned on, with supernumerary argand-lamps and manifold wax-lights, to illuminate countless cakes of all prices and dimensions, that stand in rows and piles on the counters and sideboards, and in the windows. The richest in flavour and heaviest in weight and price are placed on large and massy salvers; one, enormously superior to the rest in size, is the chief object of curiosity; and all are decorated with all imaginable images of things animate and inanimate. Stars, castles, kings, cottages, dragons, trees, fish, palaces, cats, dogs, churches, lions, milkmaids, knights, serpents, and innumerable other forms in snow-white confectionary, painted with variegated colours, glitter by “excess of light” from mirrors against the walls festooned with artificial “wonders of Flora.” This “paradise of dainty devices,” is crowded by successive and successful desirers of the seasonable delicacies, while alternate tapping of hammers and peals of laughter, from the throng surrounding the house, excite smiles from the inmates. The cause of these sounds may be inferred from something like this passing outside. _Constable._ Make way, make way! Clear the way! You _boys_ stand aside! _Countryman._ What _is_ all _this_; Is any body _ill_ in the shop? _1st Boy._ Nobody, sir; it’s _only_ Twelfth day! _2d Boy._ This is a _pastrycook’s_, sir; look at the window! _There_ they stand! _What_ cakes! _3d Boy._ What pretty ones _these_ are! _4th Boy._ Only see _that_! _5th Boy._ Why it’s as _large_ as the hind-wheel of a coach, and how _thick_! _6th Boy._ Ah! it’s too big to come out at the door, unless they _roll_ it out. _7th Boy._ What _elegant_ figures, and what _lots_ of sweetmeats! _8th Boy._ See the _flowers_; they look almost like _real_ ones. _Countryman._ What a crowd _inside_! _9th Boy._ How the people of the house _are_ packing up _all_ the good things! _Countryman._ What a _beautiful_ lady that _is_ behind the counter! _10th Boy._ Which? _Countryman._ Why the _young_ one! _10th Boy._ What _her_? oh, _she’s_ the pastrycook’s daughter, and the other’s her mother. _Countryman._ No, no; not _her_; I mean _her_, there. _10th Boy._ Oh, _her_; _she’s_ the shopwoman; _all_ the pastrycooks always try to get _handsome ladies_ to serve in the shop! _11th Boy._ I say, I say! halloo! here’s a piece of work! Look at _this_ gentleman--next to me--his coat-tail’s nailed to the window! Look, _look_! _Countryman._ Aye, what? _All the boys._ Ah! ah! ah! Huzza.