The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1888-06-17
MILITARY MICAWBER.

l used at one time to live in quiet
London street, and in a corner house,
the windows of which exactly faced q
tolerably well-frequented crossing. 1t
is amusing to look out from first-floor
window and watch crossing and the
people who pass over 1t. There is a
good deal of what it is the fashion to
call human comedy always going for
ward there. and one may look on quite
as safe from observation as if he were a
spectator at real play in the stage box
OF theatre. The crossers look up the
street and down for coming carriages,
or to the ground, to pick their way be.
tween the two little swept-up walls of
mud on each side of them; or they
hurry on to pass the sweeper without a
tip, while he keeps just in front OF
them, executing q rapid pantomimic
reswseping of the already weli-swept
path. The sweeper at my crossing is a
very good one as sweepers 90. He is
not fair-weather worker, and sticks to
his post even in rain and snow. He
happens to be an old friend OF mine,
and was, as we'll remember, the
smartest trooper in my company.
Since then, things have altered for the
worse with both of US. He lost leg in
action and retired on pension. Ire
TIED too, with both legs. but with govt
badly in one OF them. His face has
got terribly weather. beaten, and his
haE gray. Mine has not yet whitened
permanently, but my complexion is
warmer than 1t used to be, and my
tailor pads my coats and waisteoats
without a;sy express orders from me.
l don't ike to see an old soldier on
the streets, and doing what is little
better than begging his bre8d-toueh-
ing his hat all the day long to all
corners, and getting coppers, half in
charity, from morning TIL night. 1t is
derogatory.
Phil" l said to him one day, "a
soldier who has followed the queens
colors into action might do better than
this"
"Jineral," he replied, II like my free
dom, and the trade is good trade"
could have got him entered in the
corps OF commissioners, or tried for
porter's place for him somewhere, for
the man is sober and honest; but he
preferred his own work, and his own
way.
My outlook upon Phil Kegan's cross
ing was the occasion of my once seeing
out little bit of that same human
comedy was talking about. 1t hardly
amounts. to a stery, but it made me
laugh at the time. | have never men
toned The thing till this moment.
When L left my Old regiment | left in
it young fellow who had just joined,
and who had brought good introduc-
tons to me. | did not see my way to
do more for him than give him plenty
OF good advice, all of which he required
and none Of which he profted by.
told him very plainly that if he kept
four hunters on $500 year and his pay,
he must inevitably come to grief; that
guinea pool with better players than
himself, heavy books on dozen sport
ing events in the twelvemonth, and
three or four other pleasant vices, would
help rapidly TO the same result. He
thanked me, went his own way. and
very soon came to the grief had an
ticipated. He was sold up. after a
military career of only four or five
years. A good-humored fellow, and
every one was sorry for him. He had
never done anything approaching
shady, but met the onslaught of his
justly exasperated creditors like man
Boulogne harbor, as so many gentle
men in distress do, but making COM
plete shipwreck of his fortunes like an
honest man. He never lett the country
at all, but added one more to that
legion of extraordinary beings who
have nothing to do, who pass ten
months of the year in London, and
who live well. dress well, and look
happy on absolutely nothing at all. He
waited for something to turn up, and
he waited in vain. [ don't think there
was a prison governorship, or a post of
chief constable anywhere, or an ip-
spectoTship of almost any kind vacant
during ten years that Frank Boldero
did not apply for. He always made
good running, too, and never, as he
used 10 tell US, lost by more than a
neck; but he did lose, and remained
highly ornamental member of the
aforesaid legion of the unemployed and
the penniless.
Boldero and | have always been good
friends. l still give him good advice;
he still smokes my cigars. He is the
only man know who ventures to wax
up to particular drawer, open par
ticular box, and take out a .Cakana of a
particular brand without leave. There
is placid impertinence about the pro-
ceedlng and about Boldero generally
which rather takes me, though | am
supposed to be rather a short tempered
man.
Confound your impertinence, sir"
say, when | have watched him through
this performance.
Boldero half smokes through his
cigar sometimes before he answers me,
after a good look at The white ash, and
waving the cigar slowly under his nose
to catch the aroma. General, don t run
out of this brand; like it."
One sees at once the sort of man
Boldero is-a lazy, imperturbable kind
OF fellow, who takes all that comes to
him es his right; never did a days
work at anything since he was at school,
and lectures every one ell around Oh
their duties. That is the most trying
thing about Boldere. He never does q
thing himself and wonders why his