Baltimore daily commercial. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1865-1867, 1866-04-18
THE TRUE HISTORY OF a LITTLE
RAGAMUFEIN.''
A New hook Aheuf tho EonsIn,, pao-

reularKabLe adventures IN a London WorkhOCse have
attracted much attention in England. has published
new narrative said to be picture of actual life
among the London poor-under the title of The
True History of Little Rsgamufin." 1t is highly
praised by the English journals, of which remarks
that so graphic is it in style that scarcely di-
vest ourselves of the idea that he must have been on
intimate terms with the ragamufn he personates"
tryng-pan alley Clerkenwell was the placein which
the hero first saw the light his father being cester
and till his mothers DEATH which happened when he
was about six years old. he not to have had
particularly hard time of it.
There are in this volume several bits of character
drawing which are in the Dickens manner, and ex-
ceedngiy good-such for instance, as this SIX etch of
Mrs. Winkship, woman of business who inhabits
Frylng-pan alley:
Mrs. Wlnkship was an elderly lady, living at the
entrance of the alley. If single pound she was full
five stone heavier than Mr. Pggot, to say nothing of
her being considerably shorter and thicker. But it
felt more interest in Mrs. Winkship's than in
the publican's. As for Mr.. Piggot so long as they
succeeded IN removing his body how would not have
troubled me in the least; indeed, so far from being
affected by the fact of his dying. have no doubt
that, had been informed that that event had taken
place on his premises, should have greatly re-
JOlced that all chances of the of the
calamity that haunted me were at an end but in Mrs
Winkships case, respect, not to say downright love
and gratitude entered very considerably the ques
ton. She was woman of business. don't know ex-
acty what she called herself but she followed the bust
ness by her husband, which that of endngbar
rows and money TO the many fruit hawkers that lived
in our alley. 1t was Mrs. WinkShip's boast that
since Mr.. Winkship's death, which had happened
thirteen years ago. she had journeyed out of
Turnmil street. except on the one occasion of her
venturing far the Royal Coburg theatre at Lam
beth in the pant0mime when she had slipped
down the gallery stairs and spraned her ankle. Her
constant station was the threshold of her own house.
where, seated upon upturned coke measure, with
bag full of chaf for cushion, she kept watch
the livelOng day. The peculiar nature of her BUSH
ness, or more properly speaking OF her customers,
compelled 1t. Unless she caught the fellows when they
home after disposing Of their stock and in
doors, she was sure to be loser.
The difficulties Of her business, however afforded
no material hindrance her enjoying herself in the
ways of eating and drinking. In wet weather she
sat in the passage; but while it remained fine over
head neither breakfast, dinner tea would drive
her from the nOse-bag. She had other lodger hut
a mecca lanky, pock-marked young woman, who
wore her hair much strained in backward direction
and there secured in great BUNCH. The rightfu
disease that had scared her face had also robbed
her of an eye, so that altogether she could not be
hearted creature and helped me to a meal many and
many time. She kept the key of the barrow shed
in Dog and Stie Yard and undertook the house
cleaning for her aunt. and prepared her meals
they 1cere meals! Since that memorable time it
has been my good fortune partake Of many dinners
them ever came up to those Mrs. Winkship used to
partake Of At breakfast or at tea she was nothing
very great but at dinner she splendid. The coke
measure being of the half bushel size, was a con-
venient height for sitting on before bottomup ap
pie sieve. The apple sieve was the dining table;
and, certain as stroke of one o'clock you might see
Mrs. Wnkshp shift her coke measure from the door
way to under the parlor window, and hear her call
out, Ready Martby, when you are p and then Mar
tina would raise the parlOr ,ndOw and arrange on
the window sill the salt and the vinegar, and the
pepper and the mustard, then she would bring out
toe apple sieve. already spread with a cloth white
as bran new calico and then she would hustle back
into the paror again. and hand the dinner ont at the
window to Mrs. Winkshp
1t was always something with plenty of gravy in
most wonderful feature Of Mrs WinkshiI's dinners
was their smell. There meats by nature delicious
sneIllng-roast pork, for instance; but-and how
Martha managed it could never, from that day to
this imagine-she seemed to possess the power of
meats; to conure out OF them fragrance that seem
ed to cry aloud with voice that could be heard from
one end OF the alley to the other. Certainly, fancy
may have had great deal to do with it or that
smelling beng our share, we made the Of it;
i may possibly have happened that Mrs. Winkships
dinner and Its odor being altogether without cOmpe
ton, its virtues appeared more forciblv.
whether either OF the above conjectures explains
the fact can't say; only know that exactly as [
have never seen such dinners, so have never Smet
any such. 1t was a common remark amongst us boys
And girls, that it seemed to be always Sunday with
Mrs. Nnkshlp. After dinner she drank rum and
WaterIhot invariably. In the depth of winter,
when the snow the ground, and she sat on the
coke measure wearing hairy cap with ear lappetS
ana wrapped In a coachman's box-coat she would
drink it 10 the summer time. when the cobble-stones
of the valley hot to naked feet and the cutters
too warm for refreshing dabble in them, she drank
Did we respect Mrs. Winkship the less on account
of this weakness? Did despise her. and taunt her,
and make fun of her? We did not. How could We
when we saw how jolly it made her. and considered
what profitable weakness it to us? We used to
fetch it for her. three penorth at a time We used
to Turk In the shadow of doorways. and peep from
window blinds, keeping sharp. eye on her till
the arrival of the moment for actiOn-the moment
when she waddled back from the parlor window to
the doorway with her seat, and sat herself down
thereon with her fat arms cOntentedly folded her
lap. We used to take it in turns. The way was to
stroll from your king place. and saunter towards
her IN the most undeslgnedly manner possible; and
when you approached close enough to address her
innocently, and as though the thought had that mo-
ment popped into your head asking if she happened
to want anything fetched. Her way, then, was to
look up IN astOnished manner, and as though she
thought, you had made mistake-taken her for
somebody else, possibly.
Did you speak to me, bOy?"
\ es M I'm going into TUNNEL street to fetch
some treacle In a minute for my mother; thought
perhaps you might want some tea or something M
NO, thanky, boy; my tea I've got, and my milk
will be here presently don't think stand in need
Of anything"
When it came to this the way of the boy was to
thank her cvily and to look perfectly satisfied and
as though he well knew that since Mrs. Winkship
was all right in the matters of tea and milk she could
not by any earthly POSSIBILITY requne anything else.
II: on the contrary the boy acted diferenty-if he
much as to, say, Why. what's the use of carry
ing on with all this jolly nonsense! You know
what you always have and what you want, and
L know what you always have and what you want:
giYe me the nall pence and say no more about it,
he would have been sent about his business in a
wnkling and scratched out of the Iadys good books
Tor no end OF time; but If he managed the business
when he had got Mrs. WinkShip's answer it was
next to a certainty that she would exclaim pre-
"Oh, ali nowyou are here, boy, you may as veil run
fPR P96 know FnG% Ssn
the Dog and Stile,' think it is num-"
That's it. Go you there and ask for three PEN
orth of best rum. hot with bit oflemon; and there's
brown for yourself"
The Little kagamuffn" tells his tale in an auto
biography, and here is his account of
A BARKER"
1 asked Mrs. Winkship what a barker" was, and
m tuaS Nurp tL,t.
anything to do with sheep driving. barker, l was
told, was boy who went along with a barrowman,
wheeling his barrow to market, Winding it while his
master was buying his goods, pushing up behind the
load as 1t was wheeled home, and afterwards going
baw out what he had to sell I didn't like to let
Mrs. WnkshP into the secret that had thoughts of
gfPR er Mt the the barking line still wanted t. get out
the smallest barker you eyer saw, ma'am?" asked
her: How little? Why, I've seen EN- so little that
DER" replied she; but bless your innocent heart
what's the size got to do with it? It's the cal-the
voice, you know, tina does the business. You might
be big Collar and old Methusalem but if you
didn't have proper sort of voice you'd never fetch
your salt
Consulting with his friends about bark ing" JIM
the ragamuffn hears so unfavorable a report of it
that he decides on going gardeners" with pair of
fellows whose profession he finds is that of picking
up odd Jobs and pocketng uncOnsidered tres about
Coyent Market Garden. For some months he thus
gets precarious living, till seized with fever, he
Is taken to the workhouse; but recovering he
| away, and hndlng an acquaintance is apprentced
to chimney sweeper. The sweep turns out to be
resurrecionist Jim brings about his arrest and then
to escape being sent home he manages to get clear of
the police and turns his attention picking
For two months he profits by this work till one
evening he makes lucky haul of a pocket-book
when swell bsman. observing this feat, takes
| him in hand, proposing to use him in projected
burglary. But at this crisis Jim gets good advice
from more quarters than one. he exposes his mas
ter, is sent to reformatory, and going to Aus
traa, is supposed to return with fortune and Civ
ing the world the benefit of his experiences he ex-
presses regret for his msdemeanors, and winds up
with determination ito assist the little ragamufin
wherever | may find him.
CITY COUNCIL.
| TUESDAY, April II, 1866
| Et-sfR -nucb A Of onarv1