The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1875-02-19
rox HxRIsovs WISDFALL.

Tom Harrison anu his pretty little
wife sat together disconsolately at their
evening meal in the one room which
served them tor Parlor, kitchen and bed
chamber combined. 1t was not by any
means palatial residence, for the house
in which they lived was in one Of those
narrow, ill-paved and dingy streets that
form a sort Of human rabbit warren
about the purlieus of Gray's-inn-road.
Nor was the banquet an epicurean one,
consisting as it did-and it was dinner,
tea and ssapper al together-of tsa With
out either milk or sugar, stale bread,
land not much Of that and two small
herrings, denominated by courtesy Var
mouth bloaters," but which had probably
been cured in the vicinity Of Betbnal-
green or Lisson-grove.
Tom was wine-merchants clerk, out
Of employment, a rather nice-looking,
tall, tawny-mustached fellow of about
eight and twenty. His wife was per
haps three years younger than himself, a
pleasantfaced, cheerful little body, a
type Of English women very common,
thank heaven ! in this our vast Babylon.
She had been q shop girl before her mar
rage, and now that she and her husband
had fallen On adverse times, bad resum-
ed her employment, the few shillings she
earned weekly being all upon which the
luckless young couple had to live.
Lima Harrison was from "home,"
such as it was, from s a. m, during which
hours poor Tom was wearing out shoe
leather by peregrina.ing the streets Of
London in the vain search after employ
ment. But for his CHEEKY little wife, a
veritable "cficket ou the hearth" the
young clerk, who was not naturally of an
impatient and responding temperament
would have utterly given way.
Lima IL was who, with bright smile
or light jest ON the Inconvenience ofpov,
erty, caused the bony herring to taste a,
we'll in the mouth as haunch OF veni
son, and even the bitter, sugarless tea tC
do duty for the toothsomeness of bur
gundy or champagne.
Truly. the wisest Of all men nevel
more showed his wisdom than when ht
gave the preference to dinner OF herbs
with love TO a dinner of roast beef with
out.
1t was not the Young clerk fault tina
he was out OF work. He had been EN-
ployed by firm who had failed for
large amount In a fraudulent fashion
and other firms were very ehary Of nc
cepting testimonials as to character iron
those whose good word was in itself n,
recommendation. SO poor Tom, in 81,
slippers and much worn smoking cap
sat morosely slipping his unpalatable tea
out Of sorts with himself and all th,
world, for Mrs. C-oucher, the landlady
with that disagreeablc popularity of he
tribe, began to talk about her" none,
las il it could be hers before il was earn
ed y and TO slam doors and deal out blacl
looks, AS if the one great duty of Tia,
lodger portion of mankind was To liv,
like the Proverbial horse ON one straw
a day, IN order to give to landladies tn
means OF going about ~ purple and fin
linen. ..
nice hx this, LIMA, sald Tom
snlk'ly' turning over the siarvellng her
ring on his cracked deli plate ! wis.,
- -
una, o'1 ho'heI ofouener hau s'S month
IN the iiouse oil correction TO take dow
some oil he, ia'' HOW doSs she get II
except py lvlhg on ne, ioassrs AM
'ha' la1y oru'e OF a husband OF her' new