Year: 1859

work. She had not run away from her
fathers house because she did not like work
and preferred to eat the bread of idleness.
The hard treatment of parents Ignorant of
their responsibility had driven her from the
protection of home, and from all the associa
tions which should enchain the young mind
to home. That she was not afraid of hard
work was apparent when she offered her
services to brick setter in Whitby.
Though somewhat undersized, she appeared
broadset, active, useful lad, and speedily
set to work Her first efforts to please
were attended with success, and she was
soon taken as an apprentice.


From this point we must drop the femi-
nine appellative and speak Of Harry
$ okes u as boy who has worked his way
to the dignity OF a journeyman bricksetter.
For something like twenty years; from this
point we lose the connecting links which
join this Yorkshire experience to his Man.
chester life. About twenty five years ago
he was brought prominently under the no.
tfce of the public by the consequence OF an
eccentric excursion which he had taken into
the domains of matrimony. Harry Stokes
wanting companion in life, executed a
matrimonial contretemps. True to his role
as man-for he had reached the age when
the average of bricksetters are fathers as
well as journey men-he cas-: about and fixed
his choice upon plump little widow who
kept a beer shop in Cupid's Alley, off
Deansgate, Manchester. He had been ac-
customed to take his pot of beer and smoke
his short pipe under Betsey's roof, and had
at last taken decided fancy tc Betsey her.
self. He was goad looking young man
was Harry Stokes, for, although still un-
dersized and innocent of whiskers, and a
face as smooth as woman's, he was stout
ly built, had capacious depth Of chest and
a pair of hips which gave an unusual profit
to his tailor. Betsey then looked with
favor on Harry's suit, for he had the repu-
tation of being good steady workman and
Yas doing pretty we'll as bricksetter.


1t was resolved that the twain should be-.
come as one flesh; and so to the church
they hied. Harry discharged the duties Of
a bridegroom at churrh to perfection but
when the widow got him home there was a
terrible row. The night was spent in
downright quarrel and fight ; and the Ia
mentable result was summons taken out
by Betsy against her husband for an assault,
for which he was condemned to the New
Bailey for one or two months. During the
hearing of the case, Betsey, with vehemence
declared that her husband was not man
and that she therefore would not live with
him. .... ,.... .,. .....


The case created great amusement and
rOcci, of rho o-J l..
of popular ballads, which were sung and
hawked about the streets of Manchester.
Harry ,. Stokes. on issuing from tbs New
Bailey, was considerably prosecuted by
those little gamins who knew so we'll how
to torment street celebrities, while be was
also the object of much curious speculation
among his brethren of the trowel. He,
however, maintained discreet silence as to
his sex, threw out hints tnat the woman he
had married was mad, and as the most
effective proof that she was malevolent
libeler he soon afterwards married another
widow, rejoicing in the name of Francis
Collins, who was some Is or 20 years his
senior, and who had growing up son and
daughter living with her. His connection
with this woman, with whom he lived until
he committed suicide, is the most mysterious
phase of this most mysterious history. She
declares with solemn earnestness that she
did not know, until informed the other day.
that the person with whom she had been liv
ing for the last twenty-five years, sleeping
together night after night in the same bed,
was woman, and her children looked upon
Stokes as their stepfather.


She asserts that she took Stokes into her
house in the first instance out of pity, to
shield him from the persecution to which he
was subjected. 1t may be that, although
out of sense and shame the old woman thus
attempts to conceal her knowledge of Stokes
sex, she did in reality know from the first
that the person was woman, and that she
was in all probability induced by Stokes to
consent to the union in order that the ap-
pearance of married life might dispel the
rumors ahoat, and enable him to live I" in
peace and quietness." Whether or not that
was the intention, the acquaintance brought
about that result for although there were
surmises that Harry" Stokes was wo.
man, and he was constantly the object of
curious glances, be escaped the open moles-
tation to which he had been previously sub
jected.