The Republican., 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
tention was attracted by one of those huge
posters which plentifully besprinkle the
walls of the city. In resounding tones of
red, blue and bright vermillion, it 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 oyerfiowing 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 floor with another
gentleman's head, and which took to bear
reference to the printed notification below.
My momentary curiosity satisfied, l turned
to proceed on my way, when my eyes en-
countered those of a man standing by my
side--a man whom had not noticed before,
and who might have been the very ghost of
a sandwich man instead of sandwich man
in the flesh. 50 suddenly and quickly had he
come upon me. Yet, there he Enthusiastically
was, his tattered old frockcoat, once the
pink of fashion, frayed at the edges, worn
to shreds at the seams, and bulging at the
elbows: the trousers darned and patched in
a 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 bleary eyes that told
their own tale. l stood for moment star
ing at this sudden appearance without any
particular reason, and he, in his turn, star
rI ,0hi
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 l could open
my lips, however, my companion anticipa-
ted me.
Striking sort of picture that, he said in
a dry, husky v0ioe, and with an apologetic
kind of sniff.
IF ,coloring has any thing to do with it. !
should certainly say it was striking enough"
Ireplied.
''Ahl" he returned, ''you seemed inter
ested in it, but pll warrant you arc not half Sc
interested in it as am. There's not soul in
all this city that understands that picture as
lido. The worst of it is, when once start
looking Pm unable 10 leave it for thinking
of what tkis play once did for me. Then
the police have to moveme on, and that get:
me into tn0uble. Even If ! would forget
the past, j may not, fOr-.look here!"-he
pointed to the two boards slung over his
shoulders as he spoke, and showed me the
inscription. "For LifeOr Death" in light
ming gigZag letters.
+'Many people stop to look at the posters
here and elsewhere, but there is not one n
them to whom it means what IL does to II e
To you and them it is only a picture badlA
designed, elumsily cut ana worse colored
To me it is the story of my ife's ruin. Per
haps you'n wonder what rRa driving at 1
you care to listen for few moments viii
tell you" He glanced at the open doorway
of one of the old city churches near 1T hand
Come in here" he said; ITS quiet ant
shady, and when there's no one about they
sometimes let me go in there for rest
You may like to hear what l have to tell
and l shall be glad to get these Internal
boards off my shoulders for a few moments
Thoroughly interested already in spite Of
myself perhaps more by the mans man
ner tnan anything ese-I followed him
Entering the porch he took the boards of
his shoulder and placed them against tht