The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1884-01-02
MADE OR MARRIED.
ny JESSIE FoTHERGILL
Author Of "0ne OF Three," "Pr0b1tion," "Thc
Welfelds," Etc.
CHAPTER /.
LAWRENCE STREET.

Weuaelds," Etc.
CHAPTER I.
LAWRENCE STREET.
In the northwest of England there is
q certain great city, which, TO serve my
: purpose, / may call Irkford. Though
far from being second London, it has
a cosmopolitan character, which some
how sets it apart from other provincial
towns and cities. 1t is pre-eminently a
great manufacturing center, but its
numerous other branches of commerce
have drawn TO it merchants of almost
every kind, and of all nations; and
'Jews, Turks, Infdels and Hcretics," :"
I taking the words in their broadest
sense, may be daily encountered, either
in the streets OF the city itself, or in any
Of its large and numerous suburbs.
Greeks also, French, and great abun-
dance Of Germans-it would be difficult
to find the nationality which had not
contributed at least few specimens TO
the population of this great, dingy
city. Naturally, in so large center Of
( wealth and commerce, all sorts and
conditions Of men flourish, or the re-
verse, according to their circumstances
or capacities; from the merchant prince,
with his house like palace, down
through every grade Of smaller capital
ist. assistant, clerk, employe, till we
come to factory bands, artisans,
''rogues and vagabonds," !" miscellaneous
trades and professions, good, bad and
jndiGsrept-ip- the .9reat. -citg there. il
place for some Of al, and they are all
TO be found there; high and low jogging
elbows pretty often in the crowded
streets; but-and this is one of the
great characteristics of the Irkford
people-one and all, from the merchant
prince at the top Of the ladder to the
beggar at the bottom, so busy that It
seems as If a hundred years would
scarce suffice in which for them TO ac-
complish their purposes; too busy to
notice when they knock up against one
another in the street; too busy, it al
most seems, TO pause and speak TO a
friend whom they may meet; for II you
will take the trouble, and be so frivol-
ously careless of your time as TO watch
the meeting Of two acquaintances in
Irkford, you will generally find that
they dash against each other, recognize
each other with kind Of shock; begin
to talk very rapidly, both at once, each
gradually edging away from the other,
until at last the slightly-clasped fingers
slowly separate; one mans finger-tip
touches the hnger-tip Of the other man,
and with short nod, they may be
heard severally muttering 'MornIngl"
in an absent manner, after which any
one can see them tearing up and down
the throughout streets, with almost
impossible haste, as II grudging that
meager parley Of q minute and a half,
Just concluded. Such things as these
take place during the hours Of toil-the
business hours. After the factory
hands have ceased to work, when the
warehouses and offices are closed, and
the city streets were somewhat less
crowded, then, It would seem, Irkford,
young and old, rich and poor, has some
leisure TO devote TO amusement, relaxa-
ton, rest, Of one kind or another.
II is town surrounded on all sides
by suburbs. There are certain regions
built over with handsome houses, stand
ING back from the road, where none but
the rich orvery well-to-do live. There
Is the second-class kind Of suburb, the
Inhabitants Of which may be comfort
ably oil, but whom no one would accuse
ofhaving 0 superiluity OF wealth. There
are vet others, to walk or drive through
which riyes one sense OF melancholy
so endless are their long uniform
streets. so exactly alike the intermina-
BILE rows of small houses; so portent-
ously similar the organ-grinder and the
man with the street piano; the blind
bepgar With the dog; tho Every poor
but scnlpuIously honest mendicants
who perambulate them, singing some
of their mournhil hymns, or vet more
lnonbriods comic songs. There are so
many OF these streets; they are so long,
90 monotbnous, so dinghy hot in sum-
mer, 80 hopclessly bleak and gray in
winter: dyery little house in every long
row Is SO inevitably inhabited, and
brimmins over with children; tho green
grocer,s cart passes through them with
suoh mechanical regularity, one won
ders how the inhabitants can bear it.
IL is into q strectof the second order
that I woald lead yori--a street in whose
homes one would think there ought to
be- happiness, since In y live. TO quote
from lie geographical primer OF youth,
"no repv rich, and no ertremciy poor;"
but chiefly those who are neither one
nor the other--it Is strictly middle
class street Lawrence street was its
nsme: iy.vas rathet long. and possessed
lthe air nsion of bend abofs smidway
H,s.J m efh lsrhA boiiaea How the