The Cincinnati daily star. [volume] ([Cincinnati, Ohio]) 1875-1880, 1878-10-30
The Attic Lodgee

The scene is poor lodging house in
New York. The tailor lived on the second
floor, and did his best to make q living
for his wife and four children.
Down stairs, the small tobacconist
| lived in state of perpetual anxiety about
the tailor's rent, which the said tailor
generally gave up piecemeal and wi4h
groans, as people gave up their teeth,
not because he did not wish to pay all
his bills, but because of shortness of
funds common to many people.
Up in the attic lived the single lodger,
of whom no one knew anything. His
name was Smith; but what did that tell,
when it was so common name? He
was lean, and had hollow cheeks and anx-
| ious eyes. What his business was, or if
he had any, no one knew. Perhaps he
wore linen, only no sign of it was percep-
tible. We may also hope that he wore
stockings. The poor apotheeary of
Romeo and Juliet put the tobacconist in
mind of his attic lodger, when, having
been presented with tickets by the theat-
rical lodger of the first floor he went,
to spend an evening with Shakespeare.
As for business, or occupation, he
seemed to have none. At noon he went
out for loaf of bread and pitcher of
beer. After twelve o'clock he disap-
peared until midnight, when he let him
self in with latch-key, and went to bed
without candle.
"And for all he told any one about
himself" said the tobacconist's wife, che
might have been ghost"
"But he's civil spoken" said the
tailor's wife, to whom he always said
Excuse me, ma'am," when he found hel
Atop on the staircase, in puddle of SOAP
and water, and was obliged to wade
through the food with his bread and
beer. And the tailor's wife who had
lived at service in her youth, even ven.
i tured to hint to her husband that she
thought Mr.. Smith was gentleman
However, this fancy the tailor crushed al
once with terse Gentlemen don't veal
no such coats as that, Sally"
Poor little tailor he sat cross-leggec
on his board and stitched, and measured
men by their coats. If he had meas.
ured, or even mended, more coats, i,
would have been better for him and his
brood Times seemed to grow worse
custom less, the money harder to get
When the little man read in his morn
ing's paper of men who had shot them.
selves, or taken laudanun, he wondered
whether they had four children witt
hearty appetites, and prospect Of having
nothing for them to eat some day. No
that he had any idea of killing himself
besides, he had been told by his clergy
man that suicide was wicked; but HI
couldn't help thinking. And that civi
lodger in the attic, how did he fare
One night, when Sally who had been mend
ing and washing and ironing the family
rags and patches all day, was economically
using up the fire by baking loaf O
bread in the stove oven, she heard th'
lodger come in. He went upstairs, ant
paced the floor. He came out into th'
entry, and creaked on the stairs. H,
seemed as restless as Gagged tiger; anc
he had behaved just so for three nights
instead of retiring at once, as the tailor
family knew that be generally did By
the creaking and swapping Of his bed
stead.
"What can all him ?" said Sally, as sh,
took her bread out of the oven, ant
poked it with straw, finding it done
"What can all him ? I hope he ain
sick, nor nothing; he's SO civil poo
dear"
Then Sally listened again.
= Il declare, he's coming down." she said