Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1886-03-14

none are comfortably dressed IN tue
house where Goldsmith once lodged.
Many have look Of state--all nourish-
ment others appeared attenuated and
blue from want Of food. Yet, with all
this, there is bagatcllo atmosphere
over all Of I" live easy and die quick"
At ore table sits a jolly crowd Of con-
genial spirits, with pewter mugs foil OF
brown stout. The latter fluid buys
much temporary happiness. 1t buys
warmth and hospitality. At another
table we find three merry old souls
singing a hsppy-go-lucky" song,
the while fourth member Of the
group, with glass Of hot GIN
IN his hand ard two fire-pokers
laid before him on the hearth, tries IN
vain TO do a sword dance. This hap
pens at high noon. In one corner sits
a small cobbler, with broken hammer
and few tacks, pegging away at
shoe too far gone to mend. Near at
hand huge man tries to repair, with
painful patience, series of rents and
rips in a pair Of trousers that would
have been scorned by an "old.clo'"
dealer. Further on, two men Of about
eighty years Of age are enjoying game
Of cards with most greasy, unwhole-
some-looking bits of colored paste
board. One Of them is silent, in
tent on the game. The other
gables on about his travels. He
has explored Africa. China, and
North and South America. On his left
arm be boasts a rattlesnake-bite, on his
right shin a tarantula-bite He caps
the climax by asserting that he was
once the victim of a mad-dog's bite and
has had the hydrophobia. He says he
is eighty. He is an ancient mariner
and a most ancient liar. All alone at
one table sits a man of Irying-like as
pect and general theatrical air. The
table is Uttered with rags, strings, and
rolls Of cotton. He appears to be
making a rag-doll of nearly elephant
size. We ask the mans name. A
bystander replies: "Why i'm? 'e's
Valentine Wox 'e's the great
went1iloquist, and 'e's good un; e
makes an old woman out O. them rags
and paints the old woman's face on the
back Of his hand. Then e goes round
to the pubs at night, stands in the
cheers, and makes the old woman talk
for pennies. Oh, 'e's a good un :"
Additional inquiry proved that this
man is a very clever yentriloquist and
prestidigitateur who travels through
the provinces in the spring and summer,
spending his winters at the White
Horse. His guestship is only matter
Of misery economy, though, for he
has banked $4,000, or 10000, as pro-
fits on his business. Another man is
busy
EROILING \ PENNY HERRING
on the Goals, but we find he has several
snug thousands. lie is a miser of mys-
torious history. No one knows how
much he is worth, for his money is dis
uibuted about in several banks. 1t is
only known of him positively that be
once was a well-to-do shopkeeper, who,
fearing to risk his gains in business
gave 1t up, and has ever since lived the
life Of \ miser and a recluse. His
breakfast is a penny herring with no
bread. His dinner is two pennies
worth Of beef, ha'penny potato, and
ha'penny biscuit. As he drinks neither
tea nor coffee and has no supper, his
| focd costs the small sum Of fourpencC
DAY. Add to this beggarly amount
si4porcc for bed, and his entire living
mounts up only to 10 pence, or q
cents, day. He does not grant fayors
he does not ask favors. If fellow
ledger were starving he would not give
him bread. Rumor has it that he
scornfully refused to help an own bro
Their who was dying Of starvation.