The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1886-05-26
THE BEGGARS OF LONDON.
Places Where Poverty ClinGs to the
Skirts of Neutrality-suspicious..

Skirts of Neutrality-suspicious..
In most of tho capitals of Europe the
poor live at the lack door of the rich
Wherever wealth makes an attempt to es-
cape from poverty by segregation or colon-
i:ation poverty clngs to It's skirts as M
teors follow in the trail of comet 1t may
lie said that ,OJJ persons III all stages OF
poverty live in the east ,ni OF London, BE-
cause the rich earn their gold there. IN
other 10000 live in the west end, because
the wealth Of the well.to do classes is spent
there Within bow-shot OF buckingham
palace there are houses in which tie rooms
are rented and suD-rented to begSars,
thieves, anlstresses and a whole tribe or
seedy alvcuturers who earn dubious hveh-
hood by prey;ng on the crcdulity OF their
philanthtopie neishbors.
For begging in London has Eeen reduced
to fine art, and there are probably 10000
persons unworthy of any sort Of charity
who make their living in this way exclu-
sively. Children are sent out, Whole droves
of them, in rags which scarce conserve the
vital heat in their tiny bodies with dis
tinct understanding that there is no bed,
breakfast, dinner or supper for them, except
what they can earn in thu streets by steal
ing or begging, Is tho case may t'e Woe
to the l:ttio wretch WHO returns pennileSs to
his parents in the evening The boys arc
beaten; tho girls are cuircd Ii the very
sewers themselses on the banks of the muddy
Thames these little urchins literally pick up
a living, the extent Of which is measured by
the philanthropy or sense OF justice OF the
iunk-shop keeper. Still as l have already
remarked, begging is the mainstay OF out
cast London. Tic street Arab Of St James
and st. Giles could teach many = lesson to
the rapacious Bciouins who exact back
sheesh from the sight-sesr at the pyramids,
or the lazzaroni who threateningly demand
aims in tho streets of Maple; and on the
slopes Of Vesuvius Compared witk the
London street Arab, or tho professional
mendicant of the Strand and the holuorn
viaduct, the importunate widow Of Holy
Writ was uu agreeable visitor.
The begging letter imposters of London,
like all vagaboads, live in tribes and spend
their money as free.y as they earn it. For
obvious reasons, they select domiciles which
shall give them the greatest readiness of
access TO thei: intended victims, the nobility
ami the large class who live III independent
or retired on annuities Ey-oiEcers of tho
army and navy are particularly favorel by
the logging lctter-writer, and as a resu {
Westminster, Pimi-o and Chelsea, because
of their convenience to the horse guards
and Somerset house, are largely patronized
by the fraternity. The dolges OF the beg
ging letter-writer are innumerab.e. He
has the army and navy list at lis fingers
ends and can take up the peeraSe and bar
onetage of Hehrett and point out one after
the other the pecularities and especially the
norey-giviEg or parsimonious tendencies
Of each. Members of parliament arc in
variably avoided. for these gentlemen as
lawmakers are great sticklers for the Oh.
servance Of the laws, and or tn, same prin-
ciple that they never give q ha:k-lrive'
more than his legal fare, they pointelly re-
fer the begging letterwriter to the reiiev-
ing officer of the work.house Or to tho near
est police NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. cor. Balti-
more Herald.