TWO LIVES PARALLEL ADVENTURES

Evening Post, Volume LXXXVII, Issue 151, 27 June 1914, Page 15

TWO LIVES PARALLEL ADVENTURES

(By W. Pett Ridge.)

A grand smoking concert will be held at the Harp and Whistle, Bethnal-green, E., on 24th April, 1894, for the benefit of William Henry Carter, otherwise "Ginger Bill," on account of his wife being out of work during her recent illness, and an extra mouth to keep. Lady Greenwood begs to thank all who have sent enquiries. Her ladyship and the infant aro doing well, and will shortly leave town for Warwickshire. " Carter," said tho headmaster of the L.C.C. schools, seated at his table, and speaking with severity, " what's the row now? What sort of mischief have you been Oh, I see ! You are leaving school to-day. That, of course, is a different matter. Well, it's my duty to say good-bye to you now that you have, reached the age of 14, and to warn you that you are about to be launched into the sea of life, and so forth, and so oni The State, you know, has taken a frightful amount of trouble over you ; I shouldn't like to guess at how much your education has cost, and the time has come, Carter my lad, when you are to have the chance of — how shall we phrase it?— justifying the interest that has been taken in you. You leave school with my best wishes, and I hope Providence will watch over you wherever you go. It is open to you to make a name for yourself and become—— what's that ? You want to know the address of Providence so that you may call, and see what it ia going to do for you' now ? But surely you have people who will be only too pleased to give you a helping hand? Only a mother? And no friends? But you are a sharp, intelligent lad, and no doubt you'll get along somehow or other. At any rate, run away now, like a good chap, because I'm busy, and Cod bless you." " In handing to Master Greenwood a prize," said the Bishop, "a prize for; — - The subject seems to have been omitted from the label inside the book." The principal of the preparatory school whispered. " I understand. No special bent. Ahem ! In handing a prize to Master Greenwood, I am reminded of the nan^e he bears, and of the distinction conferred upon his family in the past. Master Greenwood, I am told, is now about to proceed to one , of our distinguished abodes of learning, one of our most eminent — to coin an expression—conservatories of education. There still remain many years for him to complete the furnishing of his mind, and I venture to predict that he will use that space to the highest possible advantage. (Cheers.) " Henry Carter," said the Magistrate, " I need not dilate upon the seriousness of the offence with which you are charged. It appears that you, together with some other youths whose names you refuse to disclose, set out on the fifth of last month, fully determined to break the law, resolved to put yourselves against authority. You plead that it was nothing more than a boyish lark. I am unable to take that view. You purchased a certain number of articles called, I am informed} crackers and, I believe, squibs, and you were so reckless and depraved as to let these off in the vicinity of a timber yard. It has been argued that the loss of property was not serious, and here again, I feel bound to say, is a contention that cannot be permitted to affect the sentence I ,have to pass vipon you. You will go to prison for six months. Call the next case, please." ' x Particulars of an amusing escapade that made the University town rock with merriment have only just ,come to light. Tho hero of the occurrence- was. it appears, Mr. Harold Greenwood, son of Sir Arthur Greenwood, and it is evident he possesses a sense of humour which 'his gifted father has never betrayed. So much for heredity. It was feared, at the time, that the _ authorities would deem themselves obliged to take some notice of the affair, bub influence was brought to bear* and the matter dropped. ' It seems that Mr. Greenwood, with a party of merry undergraduates, had attended the first dinner of 'the Guy Fawkes Club, an institution started with the view of welding together young men devoted to the principle of King and country. On leaving the hotel where the dinner ' had taken placej it was pointed out that the night was still young, and a short consultation took place. It was on Mi. Greenwood's suggestion that great-coats and helmets were obtained from the police station. The party, thus attired, marched around the town ; their first exploit was to arrest a police inspector, and to drop him into a space that has been cleared for some repairing to gas pipes. They then proceeded to the river, where a string of boats was taking the season's rest on the banks. To fill these with inflammable material, to apply matches, and* to push them down to the water was the work of a few ' rollicking minutes. When the last spark had vanished, Mr. Greenwood and his friends, in their . official capacity, read a mock Riot Act, and -as the crowd declined to move, something like a free fight ensued. Mr. Greenwood has received many felicitations on the manner in which this curiosa felicitas was conceived and carried out. — Daily Chronicle.