Morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven [Conn.]) 1848-1894, 1893-01-14

Odd Incidents of Foreign Travel and
Observation - An Unhappy Little
NobIeman and His keeper-Inhos-
pItabIe Breton Lowly Folk-A Wise
London Raven and tts EmbaTrass-
ing FOtnted QuerIes-Artless Amer
leans and Irish Slarney by the Win
some Lakes of Killarney.
LONDON, Jan. 2.
To the Editor OF the JOURNAL AND COURIER:
l found him oil alone at table In
snug little restaurant of shsdowy Mercery
Lane at ancient Canterbury. He was Il
mite cf thing. but an old young lad,
seemingly already broken by all tue sor
rows of desolate old age, His attire was
rich, but his back was bumped, his legs
were crooked and spiudled, his cheeks
were sunken and his eyes were crossed
and queer. Tears were silently trickling
down his face. could not eat my food
until had asked him If he was in tronble.
"Oh, SIR" he said in the sweetest tones
1 ever heard from boys lips, and as If
completely overcome by his situation and
unexpected human sympathy, Il wish 1
was dead and buried" Pressing him for
further explanation, with the hope Of al
laying his childish troubles, he continued
in scared, hunted way: 81 am Lord
-, they tell me. But 1 never saw my
father. Ny mother is beautiful lady,
but they only let me see her once year;
and then she cries and 1 cry, and its dread
full when she goes away"
"Msy be you saw nurse Digby. Nurse
DIgby minds me, and they make me live
with her, and say she must keep me until
1 am a great lord. But abe drinks and
beats me. She's drinking to day, sir; and
I'm sure ehe'll almost kill me. On, sir, do
take me to America, and let me be plain
and rough and happy like all the boys l
see,-There she is, sir! Please, please
don't tell her, sirI"
As he piteously spoke huge mountain
| of flesh slid down q stairway and reeled
| into the room. II was nurse Digby. Her
dress was dishevsled, her wrappings were
upside down, her hat, a tossing sea of
| feathers and flowers, was very much awry.
| She was more than "oheery" She had
passed the quarrelsome stsge of drink
into the region of bland bsatitude. In a
moment we fortunately got the best of her
native suspicion and cunning; she EN-
braced me as a reward for suppOsitiou'
| friendliness; and 1t was somehow msdt
clear that little Milford had been brought
down from London, ostensibly for "hout
.nQn and to visit the cathedral, but il
reality that nurse Digby might revel, Will
such as che, in the brave brews of fair
hop laden Kent.
| 1Shz'are's a dearl" she blubbered, Ii
turn falling upon little MILFORD In imbs
ole protestasion of affection "Dlgby'l
stan by a dear sein' zworld-Sho sh' will
d(hicDsrling, m'lordl A sousan' sholdier
couldn' part ush-not hummer sousan'
phretty (hicD dear! Gen'rm' shears m
(hicD swhear i'll" Then nurse Digby fel
in mass upon her charge; the little no
bleman shrieked with frigh. and pain; ant
his tormentor rolled into O comfortabl
ball beneath the table.
Casting all thought of my own visit :
the cathedral aside, / at once summoned
carriage; got the deformed boy and nurs
Digby into 1t; drove through the quain
old city up the winding hill to the railws
station; and never left the ill-sssorte
pair until I had seen them safely In th
carriage of London bound train. Bu
l can never forget that poor lads plead
ings that should rescue him from III
living death of his hopeless environment
and his white, desperate face, as b
crouched in his seat like q scourged sou
still appealing while watching the huma
animal, his endless tormentor, as she Ia
in temporary harmlessness upon the CON
: partment floor.
"Oh, cir, l shall remember you If / lly
to be great lord" were his last woIc
: that heard as the train rolled away. II
7 hopeless tragedy 1t all revealed has new
l left my heart; and all that sunny afte
. noon in old Canterbury town the brass
I and efigies of the great cathedral couI
: only be half discerped through the mis-
3 of ever-gsthering tears.
II your travels ever bring you along u
Q highways and bywsys of Brittany yc
9 must never expect hospitality of the pea
0 ant people 1t is the only foreign land
9 which have wandered on foot where Il
9 stranger, aud espt cislly the Americs
: stranger, is not welcome among lowly 70
g with upquestioning cordiality and an &
most sffectionste regard.
l, Call at q roadside cottage in Brittal
't and ask for food and nights shelter al
the whole family will crowd into the do
to obstruct your passage. Then they "
silently and sullenly look You owe
Whittier FRONT Whittier boundi If
foreigner they are even shrewd enoui
- to demand your passport. No vagsbon
4 deserter nor ticket-of-leave man will tn
hsrbor Finally assured You are none
these, they set about bargaining for I
g last sou they can wiring from you: T
Is food you are to get to the very color
N the coffee is set powerfully against 20
money. Their own poverty, their bew
III dering number of children, the lonely 70
,g to the nearest villsge inn, the fact that
La the next cottage they would probably mi
fal uor In. all and mn