The Columbus journal., 1909-07-14
THE HOSPITAL PATIENT
Prom. Skeeches BY Boz" BY Charles Dickens.

From ..Sketches by b
In our rambles through the streets
Of London after evening has Get in. VI
often pause beneath the windows Of
some public hospital, and picture "a
ourselves the gloomy and moursfal
scenes that are passing within. The
sudden moving ola taper Is it, feeble
ray shoots from window to window un.
til its light gradually disappears, % il
it were carried father back into the
room to the beside of some suffering
patient, is enough to awaken . whole
crowd of reflections; the mere glimmer.
ing of the slow burning lamps, which,
when all other habitations are wrap
ped in darkness and slumber, denote
the chamber where 90 many forms are
writhing with pain or wasting with dis.
ease, is sufficient to check the most
boisterous merriment.
About . twelvemonth ago, - We
were strolling through Covent Garden
I've had been thinking about these
things over night we're attracted by
the very proposing appearance ofa
pickpocket, Who, having declined to
take the trouble Of walking to the po-
lice Office, on the ground that he hadn't
the slightest wish to go there at all, waa
being conveyed thither in . wheel.
barrow to the huge delight of tie
crowd.
Somehow We never can resist joining
. crowd, 80 we turned back with the
mob. and entered the Office, in company
with our friend the pickpocket, . cou
pie of policemen, and Is many dirty
faced spectators Is could squeeze their
way in.
There was . powerful, Unlocking
fellow at the bar, who was undergoing
an examination, on the very common
charge ofhaving on the previous night,
ill.treated . women, with whom be
lived in some court hard by. Several
witnesses bore testimony to acts Of the
grossest brutality; and a certificate
was read from the house surgeon of q
neighboring hospital, describing the
nature of the injuries the woman had
received, and intimating that her re-
covery was extremely doubtful.
Some question seemed to have been
raised about the identity of the pris.
oner; for when it was agreed that the
two magistrates should visit the hos.
pital at 8 o'clock that evening, to take
her deposition. it was settled that the
man should be taken there also. He
turned pale at this. aud We saw him
clench the bar very hard when the or
der was given. He was removed
directly afterwards, and he spoke not
Q word.
We felt an irrepressible curiosity to
witness this interview, although it is
hard to tell Why. at this instant, for
it must be painful one. 1t was no
very difficult matter for US to gain
permisson and We obtained it.
The prisoner, and the officer who
had him in custody, were already at
the hospital when we reached it, and
waiting the arrival Of the magistrates
in a small room below stairs. The
man was handcufed, and his hat was
pulled forward over his eyes. 1t was
easy to see, though, by the witness
of his countenance, and the constant
twitching of the muscles of his face,
that he dreaded what was to come
After . short interval, the magistrate
and clerk were bowed in by the house
surgeon and . couple Of young men
who smelled very strong of tobacco
they were introduced as "dressers-|
and after one MAGISTRATE had COMPLAIN.