The Montgomery advertiser., 1909-09-05
Rich, Bachelors
 Lead Pathetic Existence

When August comes, the children's month, and London empues TOT M holiday, certain figures passing Tn ceE- tain streets become more noticeaple, and one truns to look at them plying ly. according to "A London Bachelor. writing in the malls, They are. Lon5s don's bachelors. the men Who i've ip chambers" Their story, the story oI London chambers. has yer 10 pc written, says London letter 70 Hhe Chicago Inter-Ocean.
 r,IusterinR in a tiny quadrilateral bounded by Oxford street on the north, Pail Mail on the south, St James street on the west and St. Martins church on the east, they house bachelors gather ed in from every corner of the gIope'
 Who can tell how many superan- nuated proconsuls, generals, aomirals have quilted eastern splendors Tor ever have said farewell to their gov ernment house and their quarterdecks to inhabit dingy rooms in that insguni- ficant area?
 story of Mysterious Bachelor.
 The dull monotony of life In these chambers makes men forget many things. And that reminds me or . story concerning one man wac Ipuha a west End anchorage not when ne was a retired admiral or general but in inc prime of life. He never told any one that he was single, at the same time he never told anyone that ne was married. He just came and took hiin- self a bedroom in the house am think- ing of and there they brought nm his tea at noon sharp every oay loL thirty years. Then hefdressed himselk and went ar ound to his club and there he remained till closing time at o. clock. every morning for thirty years And when his club was closed Tor re- hairs he went to the club Wnicn Ee ceiyed him He never went out ot town He never slept night away He never had visitor.
 v,,a.xx and CsrOwn-up Children Appear
 He never received a letter and so Tar as the attendant of the chambers was ware he never wrote one. So one morning he did not go through ms usual program, but died instead. Ano within twelve hours his widow turned up and his grownup children pleasant cheerful, substantial people with kina' business habits, which left very nttie in the way of pickings for the servant of inc chambers, who, having been nracflcaIly the sole home tie possessed bv the dead man for thirty years was rather bitter about married lire TOT quite a long time afterward
 Those West End chambers weave their histories into the lives of other men in quite a different fashion. l remember once noticing in home In Bury street a pyramid of hat boxes covered with dust in deserted corner of the hall.
 Owners Dispersed Over World
 ReInR curious l learned their story They belonged to young officers seat tared in various parts of the world. India. China, the Atlantic Squadron. ,ha North Sea. They left them in this kindlv house where they slept when thev were in town, and whither they came racing back. in their leave to en- tov fine delights of London.
 thought of them all in their white helmets and white clothes at the other ends of the earth to whom that pile Of dustv hat boxes meant all the pleas uras of Paradise. And I who had my sillr bat on my head would gladly have It flun9 onto that pile and wandered far away and left 1t there forever like sorna of the others; for alas not all those young people return to claim their belongings.
 All Changed But Chambers
 And some of them who leave the hat boxes while they themselves are yet bovs coma back as middle-aged men to claim their property. Twenty years after, and a whole life time has hap nened between. Parents are dead elderly friends who maybe took an in- terest in them have retired Into asy- iums. The restaurants where they had