The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1886-08-04
the way, was that Summing article in
the Telegraph yoursP"


mutual friend who had given utterance
to this atrocious sentiment. Then, sud-
denly remembering the business in
hand, he said: "Well, as I was saying,
l was lucky enough to come across
suggestive bit of East End romance-a
veritable Whitechapel idvl."
you'll come across plenty of oilers
down there-lazy rascals.
81 have been studying the East End"
continued Boning, unheeding the inter-
ruption, land l have got my Coster en-
gagged to"
ITO Costeress, I suppose"
Exactly. Nothing homogeneous about
that, is therep Well, the entrance into
this new relation has inspired him with
desire to-
Booming" said my friend serenely,
81 can imagine nothing more calculated
to enlist all a mans nobler powers and
put them in action with the object of
elevating him in the social sphere than
an engagement with costermonger's
daughter. Go on Boning, you've opened
a new field in fiction"
"Oh, you can't ridicule me away from
my story. By the way, l came across
one of the best examples of the power
of ridicule last night that it has ever
been my luck to meet. You see,' he
added, turning to me, ''my theory in
fiction is that it must be true to life.
How is this to be attained? I think by
a man writing nothing but what he has
personal experience with. 1T would be
useless for me to locate scene in
America for I've never been there.
The works of man who writes of what
he has no personal knowledge are, in
my opinion, valueless. l carry my
theory to what many would consider ex-
tremes. If my hero has to walk from
St. Pancras station to Chelsea at twelve
o'clock at night l 60 to the station at
midnight and take that walk myself. /
note down my experiences, what is said
to me, what incidents occur, and these
l weave into the story. And that re-
minds me, Arthur, did you ever 60 along
Piccadilly at four in the morning, or say
threeP''
'Never sober enough to notice any
thing
"Well, it's wonderful. Imagine Pic
cadilly crowded-not with carriages
but with great bulky, top-heavy market
wagons, and leaden-footed, hulking
brutes of horses, moving slowly as if
sleep-walking. Londoners don't know
London. London at three IN the morn
ing is no more like London at noon than
was the London of Sam Johnson. You
must come with me some morning and
see London Bridge at daybreak. Won
derful sight. The Pool like mirror
only hour in the twenty-four it is so and
the
'.In the name OF all the prophets,
Boning, what has all this to do with the
power of ridiculepo
I'm coming to that. Impatience al
ways was weakness of yours, Arthur.
was coming home about midnight,
and just out Of the Seven Dials a fellow
accosted me and wanted to sell me a
watch! Think of selling me a watch!
Well, l talked with him, and finally on
some excuse he wanted me to 60 home
with him. We got into room that
was worse than this"
"No!!n'
cit was, I assure you. There was nc
bench. My gentleman places his back
against the door, levels a pistol at my
head and asks me to give him my
purse.
every funny situation, l must say"
"Funny? Funniest experience ever
had. Didn't have a brass farthing or
me. / just dropped in the one chair
and roared. He looked nonplussed, anc
the more he looked the more | laughed.
He seemed to realize he was making an
ass of himself and he lowered his arm
slowly like one of the railway signals
that 90 up like a flash and come dowr
gradually. The look on his face
was so comical that l roared the
louder, and then the chair gave way
and I rolled on the floor and lay
helpless with laughter. I at last ROSE
| and busted myself off. / slapped thu
dazed ruffian on the back and his pisto
clattered on the floor out of his hand az
I wished him better luck next time
That villain was simply stunned by thu
power of r;dicule-felt he had made I
fool of himself, By the way. will 20,
listen to chapter or two OF my story!'
Certainly, but ! wish you Woul'
finish the other one"
"That's impossible. You have M
objections, Mr.. -, / don't know tina
quite caught your name?"
tsNo matter. I warned him. Hell
stand it"
The part of the story he read to u
was really excellent-as good bit o
fiction, in fact, / had ever heard, ant
Mr.. Boning read it well.
As went down the stairs lsaid to m.
friend:
"That story will make him famous.
mo it won't"
"Don't you think it goodp l though
| it exceedingly fine
"He never writes any thing but wha
is good. He is man of undoubte'
genius, but he never finishes any thing
That is the trouble. He has never i'm
ished story in his life. and he has be
gun hundreds. "
perhaps he will finish this one, H
seems very enthusiastic about it. !"
My friend shook his<head.
The day before left London l hap
pened to meet Mr.. Boning coming alon!
the Strand. He shook hands, but eVi
IDENTITY did not remember me.
81 was up at your room one day wit
your friend Arthur"
"Oh, yes, yes. remember you per