Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-11-27
HOW SOME PEOPLE LIVE,
queer Ways of El<inG Out Insufficient
Regular Incomes

In the struggle for life, which is so
Keen at this end of the century. some
People resort to strange c~xpedients TO
get bread and cheese or to increase n
pIttance to a comfortable income. In
Spector Livingstone, who was formerly
IN charge of the police at the law courts.
tells a tragic story of a poor and brief
less barrister who fought a long and
grim battle with fate, and was beaten
III the end. In the early hours of the
morning he worked as a market porter
at Covent Garden and then at ten
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 unknown to the world and
ir.endleSs as he had their opportunity,
but none presented itself to him. and in
nope ever deferred his race was run.
y Somerset house clerk, who rushed
into matrimony before he had properly
counted the cost, and found it difficult
10 run even a modest household on e150
a year, especially after the arrival of a
Ilttle stranger, got over the embarrass-
nleht by starting Il coffee stall near
SmlthtleId market in the early morn
ing, He kept his truck in the neighbor-
hood, but brought down his stock Of
eomeStibles from his home in Camden
Town. Fortunately, his wife, who did
her best to help on the enterprise. was
d capital plain cook, and his mutton
pies and buns had a great reputation in
the market. He was generally cleared
out by eight o'clock. and no one would
nave thought of identifying him with
Inc smart young man, ilk-hatted and
~top-eoated, who two hours later crossed
the Strand to Somerset house.
Arising author who is now sought by
the publishers, but had n particularly
hard struggle to find acceptance. tided
over the worst period by acting as a
brokers' man. Taken as a whole. he
found 1t a most unpleasant experience,
he declares that he wouldn't have
missed it for the world. for it has SIM
Piled him with material for numbers of
and short stories. A Christ
mas story which brought him Il lot of
praise, OF instance, was a chapter from
that experience, and well deserved the
encomlum of very realistic" from the
a friend of the writer, who r%eioices
IN what the police reports call "a very
arlStocratic appearance" and has in
addition excellent manners, adds
enough to a slender income to pay for
the summer holiday for himself and
his ~tailor's and bootmaker's
his, II even his rent, by acting as a
detective at balls and recep-
IONS in Belgravia and Mayfair. Chance
,hreW him in contact with the manager
a detective agency which does a great
zeal of business of this kind. and his
lrst job was, in fact, simply as a nights
at tn. invitation of the man
'ger aforesaid. But so pleased was the
ady Of the house with his appearance
nd obliging courtesy that she made
pecial mention of it to the manager.
'ho accordingly proposed to my friend
he should accept regular paid en-
'loyment. lie was nothing loath. and
low has engagements almost every
light during the season.
Another curious case is that of n
>~onconformist minister in the south
London who doubles his slender sal.
ry by the profits of a h%ourishing pho
business on the other side of
Thames. Originally he took up
photography as a pastime, but acouir-
ng considerable skill in the work, was
by people who wanted to get
heir portraits taken on the cheap. So
e determined to gain instead of lose
his work, and, taking convenient
at some distance from the scene
1 his ministerial labors, set up a pho
ographic artist" under another name
is daughter acting as his assistant.
'ortunc favored him, and before the
ecret of his constant absence from I
ome was fathomed by the curious of S
is flock he had made so promising n
usiness that he stood in no awe Of
eacons or church, though, indeed. the
have taken a very sensible view !
I the matter, and admire rather than ]
ondemn his enterprise.-Cassell's Sat E
journal. +