Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1893-05-10
A LEAF FROM A LONDON SPAR
ROWS BIOGRAPHY.
BY ANNIE JENKINS.

sat one sunny uay Uy the Ope
window, on the top story of an oil
house in PaternOster Row.
had been practising shorthand al
the morning, but feeling weary an,
disbeartened, had dropped my pen
cIl, and was dreamily gazing at tn,
houses opposite, when sparrow
slighted on the window-sill, and put
ting its little head on one side in /,
most knowing fashion, said:-
''Good afternoon; may ask if thai
is Pitman's method you are iearning?"
Almost petrified with establishment.
and yet politely trying not to show my
surprise, 1 replied
"Yes, Mr.. Sparrow, pray why do you
want to know?"
ooh" he answered carelessly, "sim-
ply because L consider his system the
best, and as a wish my biography pub.
ished after my decease, have thought
you might like to write it, and would
be glad of few hints and incidents
from me now. If we cannot finish to-
day." he added, 1--WE will meet here
again tomorrow after dinner"
The birds GOODNESS quite took my
breath away, and before L fully rea-
ized it, 1 was busily writing from his
dictation.
II am a member" he began, "of the
genus Pdsser of the finch family, and
l believe it is not pride which bids me
aver that l am the most well-known
bird in Great Britain.
81 was born under the caves of the
Oldest firm in the Row. L shall not
mention the name of it now, for /
should not like them to be troubled
during my lifetime with crowds look
ing over the premises. L am known in
the literary world, as were my grand
father and my great -great-grand-f father
before me. They, too, were born under
the same roof, so that it may be said
that our family for generations past,
have lived and died In an atmosphere
of literature. When [ am dead shall
not mind the public knowing my BIRTH
place, but remember that the firm be
duly informed previously, because L
know there will be a rush to inspect the
spot, especially if it be In the Summer
time, when the American birds are over.
They have particular fancy for visit
ing the homes of celebrities, especially
those of past century. L suppose
that Is because they have so few past
centuries of their own, and fewer an
cestors who were celebrated. Any
how, they must be kept from even
guessing the house as yet, but for the
benefit of the young English birds who
may overhear me talking to you, /
will say that our firm, as we call it,
bought the business from the man
who published Robinson Crusoe,'
which fact alone, will make it of inter-
est to them.
''But to return to my immediate
family-though before | go further, l
should like to say that you must not
mind my wanderings a bit. You must
be to me as Boswell was to johnson,
to take down every word. 1t is strange,
but [ can say to you, as the great man
said TO Boswell when he first met him
by appointment at the 'Mitre, IN Fleet
Street, Il have taken a liking to you.'
But to proceed.
"We were four children The cid
est, my brother Dickie, lives in the top
story of st. Brides tower. L may mem
tion here that a good clergyman once
made his bedchamber in the steeple of
this church, IN order that he
might save money to give to the poor.
This tower, too, WAS noted in the last
century Tor its bells, Fleet Street be-
ing often throngt d with the carriages
of the gentry who had come to hear
them. The bell.riugers were gentle
men, whose powdered footman waited
for them at the church door. Oh, my
brother could tell you a lot about st.
Brides. Poor Richard Lovelace, the
cavalier poet, is buried within ite
u alls, and Ogilby, the translator of
Homer.
MY second brother, John, lives with
his wife and family on the premi ses of
st. Dunstan's Church, Fleet Street
Their residence was formerly in the
steepie, but now they have removed
to very comfortable apartments behind
Queen Elizabeth's right arm over the
vestry door. Jacks wife suffers from
bronchial asthma, and found the tower
cold. JACK Is as proud of st. Dun
STAINS rs Dick is of st. Brides.
''St Dunstan was the patron saint of
gOldsmiths. He worked at a forge as
an amateur artificer of church plate.
"Richard Baxter the divine, and
William Tyndale the first translator of
the New Testament, both preached for
a time at st. Dunstan's.
"An ancestor of my sister Sweetie's
husband used to 1--we under the caves of
garret window. Chatter
ton Was that clever boy who came up
here from Bristol, and starved for |
whole days together, rather than to ac-
,ept charity.
''He thought, poor boy, that talent |
was always recognized in London. He |
lid not know that the rule here is |
Heath, and then recognition. In short, |
you must die to live.
'Look at dear Richard Jefferies,
who wrote and knew so much about us |
and the country. London scarcely |
gave him a thought while he lived, but |
low he is gone, IL whimpers over him |
md republishes his books over and |
over.
but l was talking about Chatter
on. he poisoned himself at last, poor
ad. That was wrong, for our life is
lot our own; it is Gods. He gave it
o us. and will call it back again to
in His own good time.
Poor Chatterton told lie, too,
which was a very wicked thing to do.
de pretended that he had found a lot
If poetry in an old chest in his parish
,hurch IN Bristol, instead of which he
lad composed and written it all him
elf. He thought there is no harm in
loing evil, that good may come; but a
lie is lie, and wrong is wrong, always
md ever.
Sometimes of a moonlight night,
shen [ cannot sleep, L look down into
he Row and see, or imagine L see, all
orts of people from the past.
Sometimes there comes a man with
thoughtful face, and a broad brow.
lie PAGES up and down the pavement
lowly, with his hands behind him. He
las come out for a breath of air from
he Castle, which stood near where
DolIy's Chop House stands to-day.
The Castle was kept by Tarleton the
ctor, for whom he had written the top
oug When that 1 was and little tiny
'oy," which winds up the play AIS
Tell that ends we'll
''And sometimes comes Gainsbor-
ugh, the prince of portrait painters.
lie is having a stretch after sketchinp