Nebraska advertiser., 1876-08-24


after his departure from Sandybank
Charley, weary and footsore, alighted
from the top of an omnibus at the
Angel" He bad been directed to
that spot as being, as it were. the gate
way to the northern district.
His first thought now was food and
lodging. There was no difficulty
about the food question, as edlbles OF
every kind stared at him in every
other shop window; but where in
that bewildering focus of streets, news
boys, and omnibuses, could he find a
lodging within his humble means
he timidly asked loiterer if he could
direct him to any. The man glanced
at the dusty boots aud small bundle.
"You'd better try down Clerken-
WELL" he said, jerking his finger to-
wards Sc. Johns Road.
His manner did not encourage Char
ley to ask further questions. So he
vaguely followed the direction of the
finger, and wandered down the thor
oughfare indicated, and then into
some Of the streets off it. He already
p felt that sickness which SO soon falls
upon the poverty-stricken stranger in
the streets of LONDON. The huge
Babylon was growing hateful to him.
His country instincts of cleanliness
shrank from the foul-smelling streets
and houses, and the dirty, slatternly
people who In habited them. 1t SEEM
ed to him impossible that he could
ever exist in such places or among
such people. The picture of the scru-
pulously clean. if mesgrely furnish
ed. home that he had just left rose up
pleasantly before him, and even Mrs.
Gandy's image did not ecare him
from the contemplation. He thought
Of the quiet little town, with the
sweet, pure air from the sea, as be
dragged himself through the noisy,
hot, dusty streets, and unheroic as 1t
must sound, he wished himself back
there.
There were plenty of bills In the
grimy windows, announcing lodgings
- for single men; but after looking at
them irresolutely for a moment, he
turned away wish disgust. Presently
he wandered back into st. Johns
Road, and just opposite the street out
of which he emerged, In the parlor-
window of dingy-looklng house he
saw card with lodgings" upon st.
The house and the thoroughfare were
more respectable than any he had yet
seen so be summoned up courage to
knock at the door.
\ big, austere-looking woman an
swered the knock. Yes, she had bed
rooms to let, she said, sharply scru-
tiniZing him. She led the way up
two pair of stairs into a small, bare
looking bedroom, white-washed
walls, broken watering, a worm-eat--
en- wooden bedstead with spindle
posts, small dressing-table covered
with ragged cloth upon which stood
n cracked luaking-glass.
This cheerful apartment looked out
upon an equally cheerful prospect OF
black ohianney-pots. tiles, and moul-7
dy wster-butt. He could become
master of this desirable chamber, and
take his meals in the kitchen, for I've
shillings per week. Charley stared
at the price il was as Eaueh as Mrs. |
Candy paid for her whole house. But
to seek further that night was impos-
sible, so he agreed to take il.
"What reference could he give ?" |
was the rext question the landlady |
asked. Reference! He did not know
a seui In London. Then be must pay
a week's rent in advance. With a
aigh, Charley counted the money into
her hand, After which only four and
ninepence left between him and des-
sitution! Having provided himself
with some supper. that sum was still
furthe< din&shed.
BY the time he had finished his
meal, he began to think that the
iandIady was notquite so repulsive as
he had at first imagined and a little
further acquaintance impressed him
with the idea that she was rather
klnd-hearted woman than otherwise.
He had yet to learn that hard Lon
don iesson-the necessity OF suspicion
towards strangers-a necessity which
causes Londoners to appear SO hard to
provincials.
There were several other dodgers in
the house besides himself. In short
every room was an independent es-
tablishment. There was a watch
maker and his wife in the parlor, a
tailor aud his wife and family In the
first floor front other colonies were
settled in the back rooms while the
second floor was occupied by Charley
and the other male dodgers, who,
like him, took their meals
In the kitchen-the latter apartment
being Mrs. Gripley's the landlady's
sleeping, dining, and sltting-room,
the former nightly event coming off
in a turn-up bedstead that formed
sham chest of drawers during the day.
Where the servant-who did all the
work of the house-slept was an in
scrutable mystery; in the coal house
most probably, to Judge by her COM
plexion.
While discussing with much gustoI
his eggs and bacon, Charley was in
troduced to one of his fellow dodgers
a somewhat extraordinary specimen,
in the youths bucolio eyes, of the ,
gems homo.
A light step came tripping down
the kitchen stairs, and not unmusi- ,
cal voice was heard humming an ope-
ra tune.