Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1855-09-13
T he Widow !;
-:oR, -
The Old Jew Brokers' Secret.

He looked like an old clothes-man, but ne
was only broker-a broker wit" o"o
character, and what that must nave oeen'
when it was bad for broker, we leave 10
IMAGINATION and Johnson to define. he was
ronn,ed the hardest man of his trade; ana,
80 men of that trade are popularity supposed
;, he mere electrical machines, WORKED by
ants not hearts, a supremacy OF tIntness
mnst have left him fearful cong Generation
He was withered old man now, bent al'gost
do,ble with aye and rheumatism, with
hooked nose, and light brown eyes, RED
round the lids, and strange mixture Oh sur
illness and suspicion in his face. lie looked
n cross between mastltt ana "eASe''
which he was. in character as well as cou"-
tenance, No one had good word to say
for him. The publican at the corner was
sure there was something queer IN man
who did not take an honest glass IKE the
rest and the baker looked down on MN De-
couse he ate seconds on principle. II a
distress was to be put for miles round the
neighborhood, they prayed that it might not
be by old Joe Mappn, of Holborn buIld'nSs M
One woman said she d as lief have the E'n,
neror of Rooshia as him; her daughter sac
She'd lie(er. The very children were alra't
If him and screamed if he came too neal
them, unless they were impudent and mocke'
him But to the little ones he was the dlstnc
BeadIe; and 'Old Joe Mappin' stood in Hol
horn Building, soaring the riotous small Try
or the cutters, for the black man OF more
civilized nurseries.
Everybody said the man had secret
Some thought he was conner, and ohe'
that he had committed murder, and wep!o
look at the body or grave. Others aa'h
said he had mad wife locked up IN the ar
=. ret, on straw; but none knew exactly vat
they Thought, ~"~~r'"'e ,d or como
,neye was a secret somehow; ana o' 'o"e'
W ;S hplongiug to him, disgraceiul o"ei .
could have nothing but vlllalny TO cohce
so;d the inspector 20 Policeman A' g.
Whv the repor, arose of his having a.
o,o, in his life, was, because evening -
sver;no he was seen stealing in the 'N
C.om his parret, along Eiolborn, towaro'e
Wsst End, No one knew where ne ~.
~ ,bouuh more than one lounger nSe'
WI, ~ follow him; but somehow the onun
always contrived to escape, oouI""s ,"e
the streets IN snc'i quiN" o
manner that however it was done heon hea,
riably got away. All sorts OF plans o" npe,,
made to track him, but they ioled' eVone
nC them; and the brokers' secret was Ne'
.,;lI Little Teddy, his landlord $ bone
,he % nearest to the discovery; but ne ll'n
a, last somewhere up in the New hoo"l
Resen,'s Park, though that was oou
neesnre to have taken, too. More nc
0aw ,ho, Joe was deccntly dresseda'n
his shabby old cloak-a thing no ', els.
would wear; and from that time ,Por'
had got about that it was a loYe "a, a~'.'. VII
some mysterious celebrity and ma was
buviug a wife with his gold; lor.la
%Caiforny-worth,' % said his landlo''Ie
boy, Teddy, 49,, nc u,vh
his shabby old cloak and bn''ere Dat, ' hat'
bu, we'll enough beneath lie wcau-
tiously at first hobbling' as was Al TO
him now, with his rheumatcs s out
after he had passed through his ular y
quarter, turning round cons'an'f toI