Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-07-23
A FRTENDLESS MAN.

ing GmplOymenG, TALL straight man,
with hair slightly grizzled and a stiffness
in one leg. His clothes were shabby, and
had apparently been made for smaller
man. for his waistcoat and his trousers re-
fused to meet, and round his waist was
Hound n red bandanna handkerchief. He
apologized for this irrogularity, on the
ground that the possession of only one
shirt rendered it difficult for his laundry
woman to get to work as frequently as
was desirable. But his collar was ire
prOaChable, his mustaChe was waxed, and,
amid the wreck of his fortunes, he had
chung to his eyeglass, which he screwed
into his right eye at intervals. From the
waist upward he looked like a retired colo
mel. From the waist downward he pre-
scnted the appearance of n sandwich man.
But as the head is Of more import than the
feet l concluded that he was gentleman
and offered him a cigarette and u drink.
He accepted the cigarette and smoked it
with somewhat feverish haste. AS for
drink, he would take lemon squash.
1T is better to drink nothing stronger
when one is looking for work." he ey-
plainedi lit may prejudice possible en-
ploycrs."
GLOW long have you been looking for
work." 1 asked.
"Three years." he replied. 81 have an
swered hundreds of advertisements awncd
my clothes to pay tho postage and worn
out my shoes tramping the city. But
keep pcgginR away, and it will soon end.
1t is n sort of-penance, " he added reflect
lively, contemplating the ash Of his ciga-
rette.
tGNVbot orn ,-,,, n-l-,1
"a failure-at present." he replied,
with a quiet laugh. "But 1 have been
most things"
"Tcll me-"
"First 1 was q medical student at Shelf
field; then l ran away and enlisted and
served in the Indian mutiny. After that
l got n place as medical officer on an
American ship. On the west coast of Afri-
ca 1 caught yellow fever, was deserted by
my comrades and had to walk 300 miles
before l picked up another ship. After
that | went to Paris, completed my med
ical studies and took my degree Of bachelor
of science. Since that have done every
thing you can think of. have invented q
face powder that was advertised in all the
papers and brought mo in $50 u week I'M
til my business partner bolted with the
secret and the cash. have been an artist,
Snowman agent assistant editor of q
scientific paper which died, as it were, in
my arms; l have been in nearly every
country Of the world and know French,
italian and Spanish as well as English,
not to speak of Greek and Latin"
why not put your experience into q
book?'
"Ah! Do you remember an article in
The Pail Mall Gazette some years ago on
The Real "She?''"
81 remember it very we'll"
81 wrote that. For 1 had come across
Obeah women in Africa who were every
bit as wonderful as Rider Haggard's She.
Only Rider Haggard, in Difference to Eu-
ropoan taste, had made his heroine beau
tiful white woman instead of a hidcous
black bcldamc. 1 wrote that at the request
of Mr.. Stead, and Immediately a promi-
nent firm of publishers offered me ESQ down
and royalty for book of adventure on
the lines of She Here is the letter"
He handed me the letter
"And you wrote the bookY"
"No. My health broke down and had
to go into n hospital. 1 had had nothing
to eat for five days. and it nearly finished
me. When l came out and went to the
publishers, was too late"
"And where are you living now?"
cat u sort Of - mission, in White
chapel. 1 have cubicle all TO myself and
pay sixpencc night
"a dosshouse, in faot?"
"Some call it that. But there are better
men than myself there They have serv-
ices, and so forth, but take no notice Of
them. The curate is good fellow, but an
ignorant man. Would you believe it?'-
he dropped his eyeglass and turned with
flashing eyes on mc-''he cannot perceive
the difference between Greek aorist and the
Greek perfectI'
"1s 1t important-in view of|'-
Important, sir? See hcre!" and he
drew from his pocket n worn copy of the
revised version of the New Testament and
laid 1t before me. Passage after passage
was scored and corrected. On the margin
and at the foot of the columns were noted
the MSS. from which the corrections had
been made. "It is my version of the re-
vised version. 1 tell you the revisers knew
no English and very little Greek. 1t has
taken me years to complete, but 1t will be
ready in a few weeks now"
Duu hOW w YOU BCO uOlu VI uLc hEOHo'
Of the gospels?"
81 have copies Of many of them in my
locker at the--at home The rest find ut
the British museum in my spare time
and have had lot of spare time in the
past three years.
My friend pulled at a fresh cigarette
while reflected on the incongruity of a
Greek scholar in dosshouse.
"Why is it?' asked, THAT a man of
education, experience and capacity can't
get work when he wants it?'
81 know no one" he replied. IT sup
pose 1 am the most friendless man in Lon
don"
"But man of your knowledge, who
doesn't drink, who'-
He turned suddenly on me and looked
me in the eyes.
"Ah, that's It'll" he said. II ought 30
tell you that. Some years ago married
unfortunately. 1t was not her fault
and she's dead now But had trouble.
And drank. don't do things by halves
and was drunk all the time for two
years. Now it is three years since touched
anything stronger than clarct-and the
man who lives where live can't often af-
ford even claret. Well, well-three years
of penance should atone for 1t, shouldn't
ftp shall get some work before I'm too
old to do it."
Then he rose and went out, with his
erect figure and stiff gait, with his eyeglass