THE SKETCHER.

Otago Witness, Issue 1910, 29 June 1888, Page 30

THE SKETCHER.

pasted Lives on the' SteeetefofKLondon— Scenes in a Common Lodging House.; ' Besides working men' arid .hawkers and' tramps and mendicants; therdis aclajss which frequents these 'cpmniprr T lodging .hctises Which can only be, properly ' desb'ri^d; as, 'wreckage, among •the wreckage that? ;we.'firid the '"life drama^"iri i: it? < most paih T fui aspect, i, While we ' are ,' in , this lodging house looking> found' the kltohen, the swing dobr iflies opSri" and 'a middle-aged ♦ijian • staggers into the,"r,P;On£ .^His'"^^^!?^: arj}' in', th'e Y 'last stage.-'of ,rufai, arid ai battered and , greasy olerioal^hat is 1 stuok- jauntily on" one side of his. head; r showing & prof asibn of curly., grey hair. , The man's face attra.ct9-ypu' ( at;' once.) It is such a fineclassieal|aoe. Marred as ii js by dirt, arid exposure' to the weather.. an'd r showing as'it does uhmistakeable sign's oj alpohblism, the face is the face of a gentleman 1 s^itf. ; lj "V.|>.j *''•", '' rf .-V "'-' ; - "' ; '^"-1?' . ' : " A'si the ' man staggers * into v the room' 'thV "deputy" comes. 'forward hurriedly^ The depripy.is } a person j appointed- ;by the pro- 1 jorietor'to' take jth^'mpney,'^ superiritend the; and generally lopk after the com- , •fort And cpnduct of 'the guests." > -■-■ l • '/"BaluJ* says th> deputy;", y What.dp/you; wai^tlt"'" ".,;'. ''":',.!',',. „7, 1 /» ', ; : Cn-":« J*;A night's lodging/ replies the gentle^ inarily, wreck. /'', '.V,*;'; '' • *, ' ~\"' t , '^Where's .your ..nipney?" • ' ' ' tl .'^ r (i '" , i ! " Here," replies'sthe wreck, ■ and he.carer fuljyjcoußts out fotfrpehce.' ' ( \ ■ ';"' . '. (i^All right,V rsayß^r sayß^' the/deputy j^rio^v janiiad" ,yp ( u ibehave -..yourpelf .. t jjo !noriserise,.or,but, ,ypu'go, you know." ' : „ -|^ ]•> , . The man thus apostrophised' mutfefa, "All ( -right|, governor/, $eats himself by a. haw.Ker, -whip paakesffoomfor him, light* a dirty ;clay pipe,! and; leaning-his- head' upon- his hands v an,d jhis elbows upon .his, knees, .stares' into the, flowing-embers.* '- - j * -- »-•*■■-'* ' " I have known this man as a •' common ( lodger" for years, and I caa tell.you'his ,hi?tdry. . . lie -is -a clergyman,, and. his- name is the Rev. John' MoVtori (I give* him an alias, as' , I all the people ;whose life,<stories I tell •injtjhese articles). "JbTiri'Mpffcori wais' J '~ .f,,',,, • " ; THE ""GOtp-'MBIDAtLISf ; '" J 'pfnisyear at\Bugby,''and entered the OhiarcF with, a 1 bfil'lfarit ; ~career ;i bef6re- Tiito- Unfortunately' -fie early 'developed 'a terrible fails.*) ing, \ and was dismissed from his first*.curapy for brawling" wliile^ina state of in.toxi'eation. - .«J«* } >- >' /- • < - ''" V ' "..After that'-- -he* Jived, on his,! friends, .uri,^i|he wore 'their patience' out, aridthen he drifted down until ,he became utterly desjafeutfe. It was. wh^n'he" was'peririiless and in rags that'hecamp ,to tmy friend; the. late; -Eev| j ,G.j'jj|'^Murphyj 1 "who 'was ' f fair\ilja^ly v , fkn^pwri,b.ye^'.the; wfttef^as; 4 The Bishop iP^the', Cur,^and\whogave"him some excellentadvitee^nd%p&mi[at blothes/and seht him' to ' a'cofaapaptf l6dgin'g''h'ouse,\and agreed to pay* ,foij his- keep 'there tillcsomething^cbulid ibe.s idphe for himi "After liviag 1 in thejhouse.for*ai?put^ix week^; he was'fficsnt.as tutpr^to ,a, J ypnngJellow whbshad heaniof the cas^land'' thislyoung fellow, gave him a good salary and > treated him as' his friend.and^equal in his ' fathWs bouse. Alas 1 ' the bid curse asserted itself ag&int'i'iMr 1 Morton got disgracefully^ ,drupk'in the house, and had'to-be'dismisse^; 'Jg^kJje went tq,the common lodging- housed good pegple^whb^ad.^eMq.jof^tKei f ca^e'rif^ie still another 'jen^ort' andj proeure3.| r^ptit \ ;P#Vapy /lir'thp.fieaivjp. ..^Tj^e old ~story;f| JaigajnJ", arid r ,t^if rtime^\v)th v i|iel y l^dayg t grJlfnmenW.. ' Affe;' ,r^3at jMortpn roujnatni_s^w^,.bacK,jp,lionaonj" behaviour jßp ; m|times i ' sbj :fiad J f t.|}a^the > dgputies gr t ew to.lpgk uppn.'him;* i&s.i nuisftripe, andvreWsedto-tak^.himcin.'^ t .Tie .last :time.'l;6aw~tlie Eev,,,aohn,Jttortbn,.- twherefi?,;Wasaotingas^rc^o ton^anjf 1 had

fwnt o\. tii6)£sQvA?^ l>een*/ordered£%wa;jr«>l^^ fwas f req[uently/sb d^unk as'tb* be^anf intoler-; able nuisance.'^ ''j-r.^?^ ". ■•SV'>^^ a ;. ~Z It was -a.mprith aft?r *he ' had disappearejcl s frorii tlie^Strarid; I that''l^sa'w Shini in) the" "Borough-road. , lle a^>^eaie s d 4 tlierJL\t» 'tre^in^ the last stage.bf ; '4estifiutiori, • Hewas>tandf, .4ng pulside the p^Mc*hpi|se'peering,pverJ;lve' .glass doors.. PresjKitly ? 'flib walked inside) 'deliberately picked^up ( a p^ot of beer wniph a bricklayer had brjiere^drained" itV arid theri turned) rpurid^to wjilk out again. The,brick,layer, wi|Sijan^pat]Qf Jelled 'th'e'cleigyiSan py, "the neck(goidt;flupg .h|m' i( put'j[r\ip#-,the s ; fbad^ .<where )he lay in' the ;,mu"druntiifa Bystander helped^himtostagge^^^ain. ; ",,,,„ ; The jcommon lodgmgihquses of London are crowded, with^uch cases as this/ X formsaiarge.percentage.iriithe.snm total.pf Londofa misißry. ?' "Every where "the men who. have. had v their chan'ce 7 a*hd" flung it away 'jostle the men who have failed to grasp their tchance, .or who have? hadtno chance at Tall.: all classes meet in theicbhiimon lodging housed .and th'e.,!fprkhouse, arid the, , crowded^t&ne'-i ''ment house, 'and.' there we shall findu specimens of eachfand leara their histories.* v •'• ; In ,the, common |o'dghSg house' which we shall visit next, Tr^shalT find the phase ; of< pSvertfy which Is the most difficult phase 'for; 'the reformer to deal with — the poverty wKich] is selfiinflicted. Sad/as this aspect of. tlie s "question is, it is too important to be omitted* ,1 will thereforedeal. with it first, and then "pass on to matters more .cheerful and more hopeful : more cheerful because, they afford more room for sympathy;' more hopeful because they offer more'sebpe for reform. ' . Do you see that fine old fellow coming quietly in from the street 1 He is 70 'if 'he, is', a day.^ He hang's his hat upon ' a peg, andi without a word to anyone, goes across to a corner seat by the fire. 3 -jit has been v^qant I for a fong time, but no one has taken it.;, *It ! has been this old fellow's seat for so many, years Ullat he has acquired a 'prescriptive' ! right tp'it.. „.' J ' n ' ..'', I How erect he -held himself as he "walked j acrossf the room 1 What a handsome face'he has in^spite of the deep lines 1 What a fine patriarchal grey 'head ;. but how worn arid thin his clothes are I , Allow me'to introduce you, gentle reader, to I ..i-r^~ ■ .. -_ ; — j ME PBANK BTJBKB. • ' How gracefully he bows in returning your salutations !,_ari<J, when he replies tp your 'greeting, is.it. not the educated' arid refined , voice ianmiatakeable ?;* " ( ,[ ,How Mr Frank IBurke lives i now is ,a -.mystery to everybody. 'He has been 1 in this; house for 14 years; and has never ' (ailed! tbV find th'e'fourpence a night required" by the deputy. ".But his means are .scanty, iand but for the kindness of some of the fellow lodgers 1 he might* frequently keep a fast ; n'dt appointed by, his ohurph. - But when he ,left Trinity College, Dublin, bis father, a 1 wealthy^tradesman, started him in business as" ["a stookfiroker. /-How lie failed ,arid drifted, .dowa r to this, no one knows. • He is retioent, and (rarely converses with .anyone. -He smokes, and reads any, old newspaper, or aijy I 'book the deputy or the deputy's wife will lend hinv ' One night he astonished the; company by conversing 'in Italian !with.a broken-down jobkirig-glass > maker,- who. haddrifted,frp'rn' 'Hattorf'.Garde.ri'; J 'arid, the' priest who becai; 1 •^ipnally (pb'meSjt^'see him say^' .that, he is' a ■'siileri'dM .Latin scholar.. One pf.thc.irio.st re-, incidents' in the- 4 ' life ! - drama of ,'lrnnk f ßurk*e!iß this. r Ofte riiprht on the form', in' frbrijb of the fire iri jtbe kitp|ion he, found, himself* -'next to -a .new-comer ■ . .who spok^ l * with ' an" : ,^rish ' Burke l ')ooke,4 - up' at him u and said, 1 /"Tbu. ■ are a "Dublin man ?" : "I am,'! replied! the other outcast; and' ,then they" talked/^a ..little^ about/ t '^rib,lin/arid the, conversation carried them both back until at last they repoK nise4 ;each pother as old'6ollege chums 'at -THriity.'*-A^tef ( : 4Oy'eaf^the^e men, price bptH' of them'rioh-and mixing in good society, riiei in a cqmrnon-lodging: house-,' where theywere 1 .paving fpiffpence' a' night !f.or r a'bedr "'"' ' '/' Th'ese.i;aßes illustrate not only the . vicissittides of life; but they^ point (to a fiapt which' must always he considered when we rUsmVsa^ the coricHHoV.pf the poor in'great/cities. The" ranks t of poverty lare being confitaritly swelled- : by recruits frprri the better"' classes; and' the slums.' are t , Jjtjhabited not Vbnly ' by' .the I lower classes," .But by the".'/ wreckage of tlie middle and the upper -middle classes as well. . „".'•,* « -js'.j It is difficult to imagine anys professional manj raising himself aerain afters drifting ' so low ag.the cominbri^odgingMio'a^ 1 ; 'yjefc"l ; aTn acquainted with Jmariy- instances iri- which t,he feat'has"been"accomplished'!' " t --.»••*. ,-;-r .-- ' One," of, '.the ! l ; Tft'o|!|*^'d^inatic 1 "cases that occurs. €0 ia'g'at tHb'mojnentrhapperied regard to a man^whoswas formerly an -iriniate of the very lo'diririff/hQuse'jti'whicfr w^ haVe discbv.erejj.iMr^ran'k Burke.^' fV l'\ „!^.'?t- <!t«i ' In tjais^ houße,>soTne;iyears{agb, oWof the. best-kribwn'chafecfers wassailed' '>"*' «"« &< \ ' „-..., «♦ THE DOOTOE.!' \ ;. '• i-ji I t t wja's no niokjfanie;"'Jariies r Arribrd ;^w^ir a-, 'doctor.' iHe was a physician vWb'o, /formerly *had r ; a splendid practice .in'^a. well-known. itoW iri' the; West Erigland.^ • , . -*'\ \\ , '■ "..^HJB^mWrri^d^a', yery'lieautifril girl.'Vthe,: daughrer> .ofr one sl bf\ .his.principal patieptg, land j.everyf hing promised^airly for- a Jong, Kafrpy, and career for him in a; ripble"'professi,on v J--^!""""^ J JTZ v. K ;v '- !-. t lTnfortunatel f y^after'a^year of h*appy TOarriedJu'fe.'M^yonn^wife^die^rsud^ very: tragic circumsJaiTiQ'es^ij ;i?/,> \ I',^'e^-i. 1 Distracted with grief, Dr 'Arnold' rushedl 'Iqr felielto that-; fatal jremedy.'fbivcare^and anxiety^alcohol, "The rneyitable.ruin cariie,', |and] lik^jnost^pf |t<^ms 'andj.cpunf-.ry; place's^Anibldj jaridiruin'edwn'his'.prpfesHbn.idriffed atlaCstr itfcCbiidoh. to, swell > the. ranks^bf^the^ereat^ :city*s;Kmiseiy.';- He came ,lo»^ this ;hp u use^|»d *he%Krried| ';for/ - / One-riigh^whlle'r^niri^iifwr an , omnibus ; $(>„ throw .^'-bbxfof^fusfee&mp'M oVihe kfeboard;i^Blipped r fand rfetorv'tjj^ iroad^iAs^i^om^cab^wßS^cpm^ngriMPfl^ fifflxffifmi #an^urnV^|B^br%^-theM) Snds^¥^?^tse^^ii^^ketf#^£hQt was legogrifie^ Hj^w^i

;,tneiuwcor^^ho*J^vbjgn^a^ellp^ 'driTsu^bl 'j£Ypji|w^},qo^di^dn^!^iie^p^ol4r 'was; cqnvalescent>|and « fit t«6^b«?dißbfia|w3n ■^pledge. . • "-f\*'«#^lW%^^Ml^ i! %#^ ? 7Dr :- Arnold fdfily J ?retuin < Sd«the 'iffigingF fhpuse, oncerto^liak^hlnd^^nifdfey^ arid bid him;« go1?d-bye:')^To-d^ hWbackr iagainiri/theTdld'towk^dlHlsteco^erM^^ had " bbme 4 into ' ragain',' sand>' ; was T dpirig^well 1 .^5 T-hiy-'is^ life-- •" "dr(ima jofif spmtfpri3d#i M .hp^wiiichi:])^ r should 1 btfsirare !^G>3>B; <SlMS^linT*f %IMq, 'Draraas'b'f tfie London* Poor/?fV' /^i li fi>) \ The [ poet's fiiat . child was Ada, whom he . ! wife.then abandoned ,hi^r vkilegrlj' (illegitiii .': *tnate) t was>l3 t month's <youriger/.shan^AdaV - "arid was the only object.^Byrori really iored. 1'"1 '" She died,^ however; :$! herJchMidhbdl^ln'd I'^1 '^ .was senti frbria Italy/tb/Brigland ferr'bunat' Ada'Byron^becanie^an elegani woman^but 111 1 never di^la^^^^J^ii^if'-Ciffi .W 20th 'year^she.iparned ap.lßnglish l jgeritiema»^ named King,'whp:bycburtesy>was calledUhe'Earl of Lov;ekc^;',She;aie;ff;ib:t;ißs2; # B < eiriW" ti in her;37tK years just ;t>e 'age^p^her'tathg;,, when he died.-,. She-iadtwosonsjancl.thej' elder was^b' ecbentrio -that' ( 'his dekth^was a' relief. ; |urn]ed^m^u^!high3rayman'aii4'' : !' stopped' a carriage.wlth ( 'a Ipfeto&;to<\wfiibh"~ was added other mischief which soon, wore : out thepatiericVpf Ins friends.; Then he fe- " nouriced the.name.ahd got 'employment 'iix f *a "] shipyard, and was on the' : poinfc*of marrying ' the daughter of, a carpenter when his'dfath saddenly took place. /The next sonTgherifeil ' wealth and a title, butV he- labke^ force of character- • He r married ; the ■ daughter; of? »' clergyman; but the union/. which t '?waiß-yery ' unhappy,was soon dissolved- by/the'deatli of . "the wife. One daughter was bortt ;tb'this " discorßarit;;c9uple, i ,arid v she is now thW'sble ' representative, .of theJirie,' whicH nbidQU,bt>] 'will become e^tincti anddf soit'is-just what the'miserable' poet; desired^ Well, r thfe pen- " ; t.ennial will tako plaqe.o'n Sunday* „. Though' . Ido not suggest it, as a Sunday theme^it certainly affords ,lessons/ which, might' be/im-?' proved on, any occasion. Thewbrst spectawie ' in the world., is a, wasted life, and such was the picture Byron thus presents of* him- 1 .self/: — \', j 'y!, !; ' !-,,"-', „ ( ;!'!'";; !'!'"; : \"\ Have, squandered i^y who!e summe^whlle 'twalfay, ' Have Bpeptmy lire, both .interest anip.rihclpnl,:, f.fti And ddem, not— what I deemed— my eoiil invlriqjblß^^ '* The best thing'tp read , wltli 'f ,this copfessiori' is .'Jariies 'Russell" '*' ''Extreme. Unction," the original., of-! which"! Byron might have' supplied better v,than/shy;v ,than/shy ; otheri ch^cter.^New. York :Cofresporident Troy Times.V. - v :.'' ■-■ ■" ■'. " ',v^, " H^MAN SAGBIFICES JAijiSSLksksS^. " When a, Jf[ing of Ashantee dies tnVvici tims are "slain at' the rafce 0f.200a-w,ejekfor . threejmonths. But there have been " greater .customs " than these, fA- Thing's mother died in " 1716;^her son-slaughtered 3000 people;," 2000 being prisoners'^just captured '^frphi' the■Farit|s. ,:,Tp nSake.'up^ tho '-tale,' eteryifeg Ashantee town ha,dto give 100/eyefysmallerY 'town;lo ( yictirns.' ■■ ■' * -■•, 'n •c-'^>^ i i *\ A .rpyaTburial .is onVthis wisjSj^t.tnV^ bottomiof a, huge" grave.are laid 'tHe>eiids of" . therslain ; ontheifi the coffin rests.-. /Then'v JustaeforeHhe.earth isthrjb'wn iri.-bne'bf'the' 1 'bystanders— a freemari/ 1 if "of som^- ran^so"; much the betters-is > suddenly ;dubsfedil)W'». gash; made in the back of his neck, arid ; he ;is>lled in'.upbn/jjhe^p'ipSn;; $$ejsiLti.ib\ send I along, with -thß,<Jrbwd.,of,,slaves < .aria. prisopers someone who shfe.ll ltfok- after '■ them ' ,as a ghostly, '"'m'aj^'dplnb.", *.C M'^ ?< v " "*'. , ' \.,Tk>F a» Kiiig, the^e^emairii^et'riiio'tVerrV " custom." i -At^the end< of 30^mPons-the^ grave is opened/ tHe'-Voyal'b'otteif'Jasfehda''- 1 together, with, gold wire. ;and~ the skeleton placed iri a long building-divided TO Y celfi," the dpdr,v|a_ys^to ;'wliich'; are ' ;^V^ j^^Wk r v on his birthday the KingTof' Aehahtep; . %oesjearly to, the -.house of. the -royal, dead/ ' Evei^ skeleton is taken frpmits richly pxna(Oicnie'd ..coffin where i£ has lainaurroupded by- the things j-h^at had.beerimdsfc.pleasin^'to it injlifc, and is placed on a "chair to' welcome the visitor., sAs ,i;ha/:Eiog";/3riteri£ ( ,cfe,H with] a ,rx\eat and drink qffenng dp- . parted, theiband, play.s the-fav'ouri^e.nieibdies/' of that particular King, and, unawares, the < royal ,visitoV';Pig-jbs : to"t-he' exe r cntibn'er^ who* ! have' 'followed., him,, aiia.Van'patteriidalt^is'' piejced> through,-,the oheel£s v and; imed/theL^ Kin* washing the skeleton in' the \rarm • bloba. The same worlrgoe^on^at-the next celf,j and so on.^tihe fearfoltiwork^gdiijig on far. .into the riigh.ti .^The^band-tplaya^ a :signal-«as each victim;*is slaughtered^' Two ' blasfs^of the horn , rhean >• dealfeh,rdeath ' ?> tKrefe druroi^-psJtcut it b3ff° f 'bne^beat frpm a.'.big fl ram* i^he^hea'd: has .ffallen.%- '? he '-" \sign|l is up by other : l)^nds, v andf all thrbpgh; th f e' cityy horn^lowmgiarid^drum^ :boatinjß^es i on'tinceasiisglyi : The ASiantee^' ; alwajys | say^-pf-Ta drum t^it^pralra%;liMi4^ eyery traveller admitsf.that fthipy/mai^mlo '. , elicit N f/^m j " |hat .unmariageal)!^ iristrumenl^ d 5d 5 •most varied range- of? sound. , T^e -ib%n|fs— f onri wfodfl,J>he whole, jrhy thin 'of^a^n^no^'* readily bSdefstpod By native lis^rie|B^lßach ** >chie^ basi^;o^-^oal] ( l\-jn^!u^ic]^gl^ J land cljjn .h'adjitjKown' battle t urie^piJcpuM^ ; this ;cpnstant, killing makes tffepejpie :calloTipf to , sfuff^rjngC a^.d'ibrutal ;ifo' their s «r leplin^n^rd-.to^tfef^V apa|hy. ; The^spec^torgCafeias^ delighted at thesj .reybltiDgrcußtpteß;asft^>F Romanl^populaceC . wasC at i* the! 7 eladiatbrs^r ~i ,Th'ermisßiqnane^^^bh|orie^Ti^ knives 'tfirotigh>his- cjhieek^'h'ad a cblfpie'rof $ i) iv AIC- tHe {' As^ante^ythumai^sac^fic^^h^^V 'me a 3 ictim ißpegg]ed;downjttothe.OTdW6on fe

QWr tftiodf so pegg^Jdown along 1 the %ad h across tne Adansi Hills^tne'ipriests'c'ame^opt* and assured our men/thaU 'tHey were ;i dSomed to jjstain ,desWction'»' ;i ;If; after "'that' ABhantee\w^r", ! ' we ( had .insisted •on the. " customs ".being given tip.'wV'sho'uld: have, only bjMsnjdoing our duty . as fiumanb.eings^ not to say Christians. It is astonishing how the civilised world, which, prof esses to have; th.c welfare of the JDark .Continent so much at! ' heartjfeaii allow this savagery to go 'on'uri-' 1 checked/and'how; We', whb ' spend so much in caj|tbring ilayefs on' 'the east coast; most" of whose .cargoes are taken bver to Bombay and b^comeißdnitelymore wretched arid degraded than tifey, would have done as slaves to Tdrkisll .or 'Egyptian. 1 masters^ ca m allow,, such abominationanot very far off from Cape' Coast Castle.' , ' ' ,'4'' s .'.''",.'' But everything in this world haY a seasbn, and, an {f Ashaiitee' man, could readily justify the 'I customs" by an appeal to that' belief in' the afteir- life. which he shares with us— "All the Year/lfotirid.^ ' • «