The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1875-01-18
CURIOUS CHARACTER - PADDY
GREEN.

To THE EDITOR OF THE RERALD:-
1t was o sunny afternoon IN the month OF An.
gust, 1872, that s:rolled into the Green Park,
London, in quest OF an hours rest and retirement
from the noisy and crowded streets OF the great
city. Passing along the Queens walk, stopped
for q moment to look at the residence Of the poet
Rogers, where had the honor Of being visitor
some sixteen years previous. AZ stood gazing at
the windows OF his celebrated breakfast room and
meditattng lor q moment upon the many dlstm-
guished men who had IN past days gathered
around his table in that famous apartment, was
suddenly startled BY hearing Q deep musical voice
utter In Q melancholy tone my own thought,
"Alasl they are all gone now" Turning in the
direction OF the speaker saw seated near me, In
one Of the Park chairs. and gazing at the poets
mansion, rubcund and welkpreserved old gen.
tleman Of some seventy years OF age. He carried
. gold.hsaded cane and was perhaps . tribe too
gorgeously dressed for good taste, with . figure
lot unlike Burton's and Q face somewhat resem.
bling the inimitsble Hollands, and appeared to
be INDUCING In meditation similsr TO my own.
IT IL not much in my way to address strangers,
but the circumstance OF the well.fed and amiable
looking and unrnlstakable Brlton having In 20
singular manner given uttsrancs at the iden.
tlcal moment TO my thought, - well as his
having used the exact words passing through
my mind at the moment induced me to
say, II beg your pardon, sir, but did you
happen to know the late owner OF that house at
which you are now looKing" He turned In his
time, said :-"Know hims Know Sam Rogers
Why, bless my soul, knew him for nearly 1Ity
new friend, idler IKE myself could be- who had
been acquainted with the great banker poet lor
nearly hall a century, answered on, indeed
am happy to meet friend OF the author of The
Pleasures OF Memory Perhaps you were &C
quainted with some OF his distinguished literary
fro <lo han md IN olA< ia
man, land many OF them came to my house. I
knew Scott and Byron and Tom Moore and wash
But they are All gone now. and me younger r. ones
too. such as Tom Eood, Dickens and Thackeray I"
Offering me pine! o. snun ne continued his tax
about the good old times and the illustrtOus
thOrs and actors that he had seen pass from the
stage, interspersed with anecdotes that led
me TO see very distinctly that he had really
known the persons OF whom he spoke. and TO
wonder VINO my companion could be, who ap-
pesred to have been as intimate with the great
men OF his time as Captain Gronow, Crabb ROBIN.
son or Tom Raikes. Blu: not o word did he drop
during our hours conversation by which could
length 1t being time Tor me 10 return to my hotel,
l said, wi you. before we separate, permit me
to oner you my card ?" Accepting 1t, and hand.
ing me his card Ia return. on winch read, "Mr.
mony OF pretending TO take snun from MS superb
silver Dox, took my departure. he saying, IN
That evening twas was dining with sI some m al literary
celebrities Of the present day, including the late
Sir Henry Holland ana in the course Of the dinner
referred 70 my adventure OF the afternoon, at
The same tine producing the card, which TO me
conveyed no more meaning than " 1t mad read Mr..
John Brown or MIR. John Smith. When the fault
lessly engraved card, OF the very latest style and
shape, was presented to my host he ourst out
with a hearty laugh, and fairly shouted, "Why,
General. your distinguished friend is-paddy
Greenw Why the company all joined In the laugh
at my expense Will De seen from the following ex.
tract from late Lonoon paper ION the 18th
December M. John Green, late OF Evans, Covent
Garden. died, aged seventy-three. The death at .
ripe old age VI this genial veteran VIII be, no
DOUBT deeply lamented by large number OF
friends; Uut the memory OF the late Mr.. Green
merits something beyond q mere OBITUARY notice.
did not claim To be anything more than an afrabe
Boniiace, VINO was eager to welcome the coming
and TO speed the parting guest, and whose smile,
whose sanitation OF Dear boy" and whose snufI.
box were at every body's servlce-Mr John Green
mad certainly succeeded In making the famous
cellar In CovenL Garden Piazza over whose noe
turna and strictly decorous reves he presided.
the iavorite place OF resort not only OF two gene
rations OF remarkable Englishmen, but oil dstin.
guished foreigners from Oil parts OF the civilized
world. We have not the slightest doubt that the
late Emperor Napoleon LII. mad often partaken OF
. pinch from Mr. Green's box. and II Is OH literary
RECORD that Mr. Charles sumner went at least on
one occasion to Evans With Mr.. ThAcKeray, with
whom ne had been dining at the Garrick Cub
then situated IN King street, Covent Garden.
Wno indeed, had not been to the convivlal souter.
rdfnp SO widely was lis lame known that there
Is little reason TO regard as apocryphal the story
England with o. bolitary letter OF introdue.
ton, whicn he said had been given TO
hun by Moldo- Walachian lriend on BOARD a
Danublan steamer. u was only scrap OF paper,
singsmokroom, KoventGard." With the late Mr..
Green there 10 broken q link which connected the
somewhat oyeary and prosAie present With very
81. psissiai and sSSsrEas club, ws nsss:.is se.
coming mere AoA &oss domiAAAs " HngAAk