The Ohio Democrat. (Logan, O. [Ohio]) 1886-1906, 1889-04-06
A CRITICAL SITUATION.
The Sandwich Man Relates the
Story of His Life.

AS was walking through one of the prtn-
cipal London streets the other day, on my
way to fulfil a business engagement my at
tentioa was attracted by one of those huge
posters which plentifully bespriukle the
walls of the city. In rcsoundinG tones OF
red, blue and bright yermillion, 1t called the
attention of the public to the fact that the
stirring sensational melodrama, of deep do
mestic interest, entitled: "For Life or Death; !;
or, the Graves Witness" was then being
performed to overiiowiug audiences at the
Royal Lorne Theater Just above the
printed announcement was picture repre-
senting one gentleman apparently in the act
of boring hole in the door with another
gentleman's head, and which | took TO bear
reference TO the printed notification below.
My momentary curiosity satisfied, turned
to proceed on my way, when my eyes en-
countered those of maN standing by my
side-a man whom hadsnot noticed before,
and who might have been the very ghost of
a sandwich man instead of Il sandwich man
in the flesh. so suddenly and quickly had he
come upon me. Yet, there he Enthusiastically
was, his tattercd old frockcoat, once the
pink Of fashion, frayed at the edges, worn
TO shreds at the seams, and bulging at the
elbows; the trousers darued and patched in
dozen different places but now gone far
beyond the last stage of repair; the patent
leather boots broken and down at heel, and
almost soleless: the battered white hat,
with black band round it. and the brim all
but gone; the bulbous red nose, the tremb-
ling mouth and the beary eyes that told
their own tale / stood for a moment star
ing at this sudden appearance without any
particular reason, and he, in his turn, star
ing at me. This pause, awkward enough in
all conscience, was of that character in
which one of the parties feels impelled to
make an observation of some kind in order
TO get decently away. Before / could open
my lips, however, my companion anticipa-
ted me.
"Striking sort of picture that, he said. in
a dry, husky voice, and with an apologetic
kind of sniff
IF coloring has any thing to do with it, /
should certainly say it was striking. enough"
replied.
"Ah" he returned, 'you seemed inter
estcd in il, but I'll warrant you arc not half so
interested in il as l am. There's not soul in
all this city that understands that picture as
/ do. The worst of it is, when ! once start
looking Pm unable to leave it for thinking
of what this play once did for me- Then
the police have to move me on and that gets
me into trouble. Even If / would forget
the psst, NAV not, for-look hereP P'-he
pointed TO the two boards slung over his
shoulders as he spoke and showed me the
Il scriptlon, 'For Life or Death" in light
ming z'gzag letters.
'sManv people stop to look at the posters
here and elsewhere, but there is not one OF
hem 10 whom it means what it does to me.
To you and them it is only picture badly
designed, clum silly cut and worse colorod.
To me il is he story Of my life's ruin. Per
Ilaps you'll onler what Pm driving at III
you care to listen for few moments will
tell you" He glanced at the open doorway
OF one of the old city churches near at hand.
"Come in here, he said; 'lCs quiet and
shady, and when tn ere's no one about they
sometimes let me go in there for rest
You may like to hear what have TO tell
ard shall be glad to get these Internal
boards off my shoulders for a few moments. "
Thoroughly interested already in spite OF
myself-perhnps more by the mans man
ner than anything else-I followed him
Entering the porch he took the boards on
lis shoulder and placed them against the
wall, and taking his seat on the bench just
inside the doorway, drew pocket handker
chief from his pocket and mopped his fore
head with IL.
$40 begin with" he said, after moments
silence, "let me tell you that my name ID
Edward Morton. Perhaps you will not be
lieye me il say that was once upon
time-what of all things in the world dc
you think-a dramatic critic Yes, it's true
What is more, dramatic criticism was the
beginning and end of my downfall and this
is how II happened. 1t was about ten years
ago, and soon after started my journalistic
career Ia the provinces, that took sitaa
tion on one OF our great daily papers-The
Blunderer, to wit This succeeded In OBJ
tanning through the influence of friend at
court, aud, f,ra = youngster Just enterina