Morris tribune., 1883-09-15
Homes of the Criminal Glasses.

1he dlSpOSltlOn to magnify the Vlclssl-
tudes Of fortune which have befallen
certain inhabitants of street was
shown me in the case of an old woman
who, it was currently reported, had
once had 5000 of her own, and now
madethe beds in lodging house for IS
week. found, however, when l
came 20 know her, that e20O was the
most she had ever had. The cases,to
of several gentlemen" were from time
to time reported to me who, it is said,
had had good education, and were
now living in common lodging house;
but when | went found that the "gen-
tleman" VAS not all that they had rep
resented him. Of course. gentlemen
and university men are occasionally to
be found in common lodging houses,
but l never happened to come across
one. l met clergyman of the church
OF England once in one but, except for
the cut of his coat, he did not appear
out of place there. l remember to have
met LAWYERS clerk there, a solicitor. a
doctor, and representatives. of several
other professions, but they
had sunk so low, morally
and mentally before they had come to
the common lodging house that surprise
was telt at not finding them where they
were, but at learning that they had ev.
er been what they claimed to have
been. They had acquired that peculiar
appearance which stamps the common
lodging house man. IS quite mistaka-
BILE, though not easIs definable. Diverse
as are the types, they have something
in common. which enables one to say,
after very little practice, that they live
in a registered lodgingg, house. 1t lies
partly in the expression of the face and
partly in the dress. But though thew
they have this indefinable something in
common, there may be found in this
street the most surprising variety of ex-
periences, and the most extraordinary
excentricities of life. From it 90 out in
the morning blind beggars who are blind
no longer when they eat their suppers
by the fire in the evening, made-up Grip
pies, sham defefrlities, and counterfeit
old men. There was one house which
had reputation for the preparation of
these impositions, and / have SCENT in
some of the materials of the various pro-
cesses. These processes we're certainly
exceedingly successful. re-
member one afternoon, when
vas taking a. walk about mile from
home, overtaking most miserable
looking old man who, bent with old age
could hardly drag one feeble leg after
the other. His clothes hung in rags upon
him; he never raised his bent head as
he dragged himself very slowly and
painfully a ong. His ,pearance excl.
ted in most people good deal of COM
passion, though | remarked, with indig-
nation, that several jeered at him. His
condition, however. seemed past being
made better or worse. He took money
without any token of joy or gratitude.
and ridicuie without any sign of annoy
ance. | followed him as he struggled on,
onc slow sep at time, and at the end
of ABOUT an hour and half we were ap-
preaching my street. He turned down
into it, raised his bent back, lifted his
head, stepped lightly along the pave
ment. and turned into house almost
next to mine. He was middle-aged
man whom | knew quite well by sight,
but had not recognized his disguise of an
old man. His venerable but dirty and
ragged white bearu I afterward met,
cleaned and nicely brushed. on another
iHan WHO was got up as respec-
table old man who he'd seen
better days. That beard could.tell some
curious stories; it was wagged nm.
der many chins. Many singular charac-
tiers and many curious habits occur to
my mind as I write which, though not
individually worth describing. yet con-
tribute largely to give the street that va
rlety which is one of its charms in the
eyes OF the inhabitants. Some of these
habits | cannot describe, and do not will
lingly think of, though l feel that a pic
ture of--street is incomplete without
them. One, however, may mention
as illu trative of the harmless sort of &C.
An elderly man who used
to drop in to my house without shoes on
was talking to me one evening about the
badness of the times, and remarked that
though street singing wasn'twhat it used |
to be, yet that he could never starve !
while there were black beetles in his |
lodging house. did not believe him at |
the time, but I found on inquiry that |
ne had undoubtedly acquired the habit |
OF eating these insects raw with appar-
emit enjoyment.-The National Review |
The Mobiles county fair will be held at |,
Worthington, Sept. Is, leland 20.