"HANGING ON" AS A PROFESSION. Some Methods of the Human Parasite.

Otago Witness, Issue 2240, 4 February 1897, Page 49

"HANGING ON" AS A PROFESSION. Some Methods of the Human Parasite.

" Ob, yes," said the personage to whom the writer applied for information, "there are many men who contrive to live in the utmost luxury on a most exiguous income by a pro* cess which I can only describe briefly as ' hanging on.' "To take a case. There are two young men : one rich — that it, with an income of several thousand a year and a home in the most fashionable part of London ; the other is without any visible means of support, except what he can pick up by desultory journalism. No. 2is a hanger-on of No. 1. It began in an ordinary friendship. Then somebody warned No. 1 against No. 2 as an undesirable charaoter, and No. 1, resenting this, became more intimate with Nor 2 in consequence. No. 2 allowed the other to know that money wu very soaroe with him, and No. 1 behaved generously. Then No. 9 got into the habit of 'dropping In* in the morning, and the conversation insensibly lengthening to lunoh time, No. 2 was often invited to lunch. Dinner was at first a formal invitation affair, but it gradually got to No. 2 proposing to dine with No. 1 if the latter were ' disengaged.' " The resnlt was that at last it became a regular custom for No. 2 to drop in to dinner or lunoh whenever, he could not dine or lunch at someone else's expense, and a further development was when be took to ordering the servants to < bring up whatever was In the house,' if No. 1 happened to be. out. "In addition to this No. 2 tested No. I* generosity in the matter of money again and againt until practically the rule was estate*

l^hed that when No. 2 wanted a fresh supply 6f cash be asked for it. "The last step was one by which he quartered himself on biß friend entirely. One day he came with a etory that he bad been turned out of bis rooms, and did not know where to go. No. 1, full of sympathy, offered him a room until he could find f reeh quarters. No. ? acoepted gladly,, and discovered great difficulty in finding suitable rooms. No. 1 went abroad and took the other with him, paying all expenses. On their return No. 2 resumed his room in No. Vb house as of right, and dropped all effort to find chambers for himself . "Now he lives with* No. 1 entirely, takes all his meals at No. l's expense, asks for money when he want* it, orders all he wants and has it put down to No. l's account, fills his drawers from No. l's, and uses the latter* jewellery. He has estranged No. 1 from his family, made him quarrel with most of bis friends, and behaves as if he were lord and matter. it. " No. 1 has got tired of this thraldom, and has several times tried to get rid of him — even offered, to pension him off; but No. 2 bursts into tears, talks about bis ' sacrifices,' deolares that he has ruined himself for No. l's sake, and that there is nothing left for him but suicide — and; in short, willnot£O. So-No.l has -puj; the business of . evicting him into my bands, and that is how I know so tpacb about it. <■ Then another oaie occnrs to me. This - was a major who bad been in the army, but bad retired and . bad little more than his half-pay to live on. He went on a visit to a country house for shooting., , He was a good shot and a keen judge of a horse. He made the biggest bag, and broke in a horse which no one could ride.. That won him the heart of the squire. He advised Mrs Squire on. her garden, her chickens, and even her store cupboard, and told her one or two cooking secrets which, being immensely appreciated by the males of the family, were naturally valued by the lady. He was also an excellent talker, had a large stock ot. good stories, and was the life and soul of ; the table. He was invited to lengthen his #tay. " One day, when he found the squire in difficulties with his accounts, he let out that lie had onca managed the accounts of bis *ness, and from that time he became the /squire's chief adviser on the management of his estate, investment of his money, and order? Ing of bis acoounts. He showed the squire how to make various economies, and he gave Mrs Squire the free run of his Stores ticket. "He has now been with them for several yeare. They will not bear of' his going, and when he departs for a short visit elsewhere or runs up to town for a week or so in the season — which he is wise enough to do — Jthey always make him promise to come Jback. Without any official position, be manages the whole house and estate. If (Mrs Squire has difficulties with her servants, jthe major is sent for. If the Eqaire has .trouble with a tenant, the major walks over, talks the man into a reasonable frame of mind, and arranges tbe matter. Since the major has accompanied ihe squire to market the hitter has done better with his stock, and his horses have proved more satisfactory. "It was the major too who, when the eqnire wanted to find work for the unemployed, suggested the cutting through the bill, which shortened the road, and the filling up of tbe marsh lands with the : rubbish, wbioh considerably added to the j grazing land. Tbe major, in short, had { Jnade himself indispensable in business, ' oseful in domestic matters, the principal : Source of amusement to a dull family, and has contrived' to preserve the fiction of a visit so well that he has never sunk to the I position of a dependent. I "No doubt the squire^ would prefer to dismiss his bailiff and engage tbe major as . general factotum at a higher salary rather ! than lose him ; but the major prefers to be B 'hanger-on.' He says that he is more really independent than be would be as a salaried official."