Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1883-02-02
CHAPTER I.
4 POOR YOUNG MAN.

y FVbh NOINO MAN.
The small hours of the night i'm early
spring are apt TO be chilly To those i'll
clad ones who are obliged to tramp from
the center OF London to some suburban
retreat. So Maurice Esmond discovered
when he was making his way across
Blackfriars Bridge southwark A keen
eastwind penetrated his closely buttoned
coat, and he scarcely paused to glance
mt the long line of golden shafts made
by the reflection of the lamps i'm the
river. Although he had an eve for
picturesque effects. he was evidently in
TOO great hurry at present to study
them. AS he marched on, the number
OF passengers whom ne encountered
rapidly diminished, and by the time he
reached Camberwcll Green the streets
were almost deserted. There were.
however, n number of cabmen, n few
young men who had been out on pleas
urc. and others who were out from ne
cessity. gathered around coflee-stall.
A .cheery-faced old man. wearing an
understandable skull-cap, stood behind
the counter dispensing cups of coffee,
the heat OF which amply compensated
Tor any deficiency of flavor; and for the
hungry there were huge sandwiches
and lunches OF currant cake.
The group was n merry one. and Es-
mond heard several loud bursts of
laughter rs he approached 1t was n
good .natured group, too, and way was
readily made for him rs he advanced
and asked for cup of coffee. He
drank IL in silence. but was quietly OBJ
serving his companions and listening
all the time with some interest to their
conversation. which was interspersed
with anecdotes chiefly of professional
character and rs rule much less
coarse than might have been expected.
He laid down his cup and continued
his way refreshed, Presently he turned
into narrow street which BELONGED To
the older part of the parish. On either
side were small shops--greengrocers
shoemakerS, rag and bone merchants
and rising in their midst at short inter-
walls the more commanding premises of
the gin-palace and the beer-house.
AZ the side door of one of the little
shops he stopped, and opened it quietly
with n latch-key. The sign board bore
I'm large yellow letters the legend. "Dan
O'Bryan, Tailor"
Edmond was not surprised TO observe
that there was still light in the back
shop. for Mr.. OBryan having. like
most OF his countrymen, a passion for
politics. was frequently found Mt late
hours seated on his tailor's platform.
stitching some garment busily, and at
the same time arranging the affairs of
the Nation in long harangues addressed
TO his son, who was his only workman. or
To his wife. or in the absence of both.
to the walls, which in his IMAGINATION
represented spell-bound multitudes of
listeners.
Busy stin. Mr.. OBrvanP'' said F.
mond. rs he looked in at the workshop
door.
Come in. come in. Mr.. Esmond ~
cried the old man. cheerily. I'm de-
lighted 20 see you before / oo 70 bod
OIL down and tell us what has been done
IN the House. suppose you heard the
- was not in the House at all To-
night; but understand there was moth
ing particular DONE"
- But something particular will have
TO be done. and that soon. too; for al
Ihough haven't been in my country for
many year now more's the pity-I
know that the boys mean TO have their
own way this time"
1--WE wiR have our way" exclaimed
the voice OF the son, who had been sit
ting so quietly by the stove that Esmond
mad not ut first observed him.
lie was n very redlheadcd Young man.
with good-natured face, on which he
was continually endeavoring to display
an expression OF that melancholy which
comes OF too much broodiUy. In this
ne was not successful; nature claimed
MN Tor Flow comedy part in life,
although. like many eminent actors. he
was thoroughly convinced that tragedy
was his forte. Even his name was
against him; he had been christened
Edward. but every one except himself
seemed to have forgotten that fact, and |
ne was known only as Teddy, and
sometimes as Teddy OBryan. He
could not help feeling, in the midst of |
some OF his dreams Of the future, that
tnore was something ludicrous in the