The Democratic advocate., 1884-08-02

wounds of folly, and pour the oil of CON
fort upon failure, are few and far betwee
in this world
1t was noticed about Daddy by some 0
the more respectable women who had ia
len to the same level of degradation, tina
he was never rude or violent in his cups
No amount of the vile compounds supplies
by neighboring public houses was able t
rouse in him things sensual or devilish
He was never cruel, never coarse. Verify
Daddy in these degraded days was still
gentleman in his instincts toward woman
hood, unsexed though it might be. n
more than the Ethiopian can change hi
skin could he cast off the nature born il
him. Among crew of rough blackguards
fighting, swearing, murderous williams, h
demeanded himself toward the helpless ant
oppressive after an unheard-of fashion.
None knew or cared whether Dadd..
was guilty of some heinous crime whicl
had brought HIM into hiding here. 1t wa
so long ago since he had first appeared il
these shady recesses, this limbo of vice
that the generation which might have re
called his former terror to the daylight
and his abashed and down-trodden mien
had foated away. Oblivion had WASHED
over former offences, and Daddy was now
comparatively white sheep in a localit.
notorious for harboring dangerous charac
ters. The renown of Linnet Lane had beer
greatly on the increase in the course o
twenty years Daddy had here sunk un
traced into feeble and harmless old age
The mould and rust of misery and povert.
had masked him effectually from all recog
milton. Yet he would repeat often tt
Flags, with angry petulance-
I'm not seventy yet, though they de
call me old"
And Flags would gravely nod her hea(
to pacifv him. as she darned the rents il
the gay bunting which always surrounded
her. vet not believing his asseverations
But it was the truth. Five-and-twenty
years ago, when Daddy had sheltered hi
head in this slum, his hair had been ligh
brown, his cheek unfurrowed. Then hC
was a man not much over forty, erect anC
strong. Now drink and its natural conse
ouences of disease and poverty had sappet
his strength, marring his features anc
whitening his bent head Now he was only
gaunt and feeble old man, whom surel.
the most vigilant police would not regard ;
second time as dangerous to the public
peace.
Strange to say-or was 1t strange 2
Daddy had acquired an etfection for Linne
Lane. He came back to it as his home
What he best knew of comfort and shelte
nowadays was to be found within its pre-
cincts. He was beyond asking much o
life, but all that he did require was supplied
to him here. Bed and board are elastic
terms. Straw is luxury to the homeless
wanderer, and crust of bread suficiency
to the starving. Certainly Daddy's daily
necessaries were purchased for a few pence
and to sit in the sun on familiar wharf
watching the steamers go down the river
or barges unlade their freight near at hand
was sufficient excitement to satisfy him
Daddy waited about patiently for employ
ment, and few days passed without hi
services being required. In between while:
he was at liberty to crawl down the Shiny
steps and save some spar of drift wood,
piece of ragged clothing, an empty bottle
or any other fotsam. Such treasure
cleaned from the tide would make hin
completely happy for an hour. Some there
were who declared the old man was only
half-witted. 1t was true he had trick o.
talking inaudibly to himself, while dazet
stare in his dim eyes seemed to deny any
active intelligence at work. Yet he wa'
quite equal to carry conscientiously and tt
fetch punctually. None ever scrupled t.
rely on Daddy's honesty and speed. The
children hereabouts reckoned him as ont
of themselves, playmate of mature years
Truly there were but few children in Lin
net Lane. Those that survived the hare
experiences of infancy and attained rea
sonable age were drifted away quickly tt
take part in some labor. Still, there re
mained here couple of cripples, deaf
mute, an epileptic sufferer, and half-a-dozer
precocious babies who played pitch-and-tos.
fiercely with brass buttons, or wranglec
over dirty crusts of bread saved from thu
gutter-streams.
Daddy was quite at home amid this co
terie, going shares cheerfully in the pro
ceeds of drains and dust-heaps.
"Hullo, ancient mariner, here yer are
agen w shouted burly individual Of al
amphibious description, as he clapped Dad
dy on the shoulder one fine August after
noon. The old man sat on an empty barre
facing the river, his eyes gazing into va
cancy. His emaciated hands were spread
out on his knees, as though ready to grasI
every ray of the blessed sunshine. Daddy
was happy. The warmth was so pleasant
and the ripping of the river against thu
slaves of the wharf was soothing.
"Come along, old un! Wake up bit
l say. 1 wants yer to mind Of my boa
t'other side. I've got a pertickler jot
across the river, and yerll mebbe have t.
wait an hour. But yer pretty well used
to waitin', Daddy, and that luck Of your
it don't seem to turn up"
Daddy's employer, pleased at his owl
facetious remark, gave vent to hoars'
laugh. The old man rose slowly and 81
lently as boat moored beside barge wa'
pointed out to him.
'Stiff in the joints, old chap, hey
guess you've been on the spree, alyin' ou
of doors at nights. No CONSTRUCTION 'ul
stand them sorter tricks. A man of you
years oughter know better than to INFO.
hisself in that way" sa1a
Daddy was moving across the wharf
with his companion. This moral reproo
appeared to leave a sting.
II am not so old" he mumbles resent
fully, halting to hurl this feeble protest al
the other man.
This one jeered, "Ohol don't set ye
back up. Why, we all on us knows yer I
chicken just out of the egg. Yer doesn'
know nought about nothing, now does yer
Come, Daddy, look alive, and show how
spry yer can be. I'm good for joey and
drop of summat, if yer waits my time
Yer can pay for warm bed at the Laml
II