The record-union., 1897-12-10
HOW SOME PEOPLE LIVE.
Queer Ways of Eking Out Insuffi-
cient Regular Incomes.

In the struggle for life, which is so
keen at this end of the century, some
people resort TO strange expedients TO
get bread and cheese or to increase a
pittance to a comfortable income. In
spector Livingstone. who was formerly
in charge OF the police at the Law
Courts, tells tragic story of a poor
and briefiess barrister, who fought a
long and grim battle with fate, and
was beaten in the end. In the early
hours Of the morning he worked as a
| market porter at Covent Garden, and
then at III o'clock adjourned to his
| chambers in the Temple, donned wig
| and gown, and attended the courts,
| waiting day after day to grasp the
| skirts of happy chance. Others as un-
known to the world and friendless as
he had their opportunity. but none pre-
scented itself TO him, and in hope ever
deferred his race was run.
a Somerset House clerk. who rushed
into matrimony before he had properly
counted the cost, and found it difficult
to run even modest household on f150
year, especially after the arrival of
little stranger, got over the embaT-
rassment by starting a coffee stall
morning. He kept his truck in the
neighborhood, but brought down his
stock of comestibles from his home in
Camden Town. Fortunately, his wife,
who did her best to help on the enter
prise, was a capital plain cook, and
his mutton pies and buns had a great
reputation in the market. He was gen
orally cleared out by s o'clock, and no
one would have thought of identifying
him With the smart young man, silk
hated and top-coated, who two hours
later crossed the Strand to Somerset
House
a rising author who is now sought by
the publishers, but had a particularly
hard struggle to find acceptance, tided
over the worst period by acting as a
brokers man. Taken as a whole, he
found it a most unpleasant experience
but lie declares that he wouldn't have
missed it for the world, for it has sup
piled him with material for numbers
OF sketches and short stories A Christ
mas story which brought him a lot of
praise, for instance, was a chapter
from that experience, and we'll deserved
the encomium of very realistic from
the critics.
A friend of the writer, who rejoices
IN what the police reports call very
arlstocratlc appearance" and has in
addition excellent manners, adds
enough to the slender income to pay
for the summer holiday for himself and
family. his talior's and bootmaker's
bills, and even his rent, by acting as a
private detective at balls and receptions
IN Belgrayia and Mayfair. Chance
threw him in contact with the manager
of a detective agency which does a
great deal of business of this kind. and
his first job was, in fact, simply as a
nights diversion at the invitation of
the manager aforesaid. But so pleased
was the lady of the house with his ap-
pearance and obliging courtesy that she
made special mention of it to the man
ager who accordingly proposed to my
friend that he should accept regular
paid employment. He was nothing
loath, and now has engagements almost
every night during the season
Another curious case is that CT Nom
conformist minister in the south of
London who doubles his slender salary
by the profits of flourishing photog-
raphy business on the other side of the
Thames. Originally he took up pho
Biography as a pastime but acquiring
considerable skill in the work was pes
tered by people who wanted to get their
portraits taken on the cheap. So he
determined to gain instead of lose by
his work, and taking convenient rooms
at some distance from the scene of his
ministerial labors, set UP as a pho
tographic artist" under another name,
his daughter acting as his assistant
Fortune favored him, and before the
secret of his constant absence from
home was fathomed by the curious of
his flock he had made so promising a
business that he stood in no awe of
deacons or church, though, indeed, the
former have taken a very sensible view
OF the matter, and admire rather than
condemn his enterprise.-Cassell Sat
urday Journal