Crying for the Light; Or, Fifty Years Ago. Vol. 1 [of 3]Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
General
Crying for the Light; Or, Fifty Years Ago. Vol. 1 [of 3]
Ritchie, J. Ewing (James Ewing)
England -- Social conditions -- 19th century -- Fiction
Day by day he wandered thus in quest of employment, day by day he grew
shabbier, day by day he felt himself less able to rise superior to his
difficulties. At length, overcome by despair, he walked down to one of
the Metropolitan bridges, and jumped over. The Fates seemed propitious,
and in another minute he would have been as completely drowned as he
wished, had not a boat belonging to the Thames police been on the very
spot to which, unconsciously, he floated. He was heaved on board, dried,
and refreshed, and the next morning taken before the magistrate, to whom
he explained how unfortunate he had been, how he had no one in the world
to care for him, and how thoroughly tired he was of life. The magistrate
remanded him for a week, in order that he might once more enjoy the
inestimable blessing of being talked to by the prison chaplain. In the
meanwhile the case got into the newspapers, and it was then that it
caught the eye of our heroine. Calling for a cab, she made her way to
the police-court, and when, in the course of a few days, the man was
released, made him her coachman and gave him a home. Clean and smart,
with contentment stamped on his honest face, no longer with the wan cheek
of starvation, no longer his eye heavy with disappointment and despair,
active and hearty and happy, there was not a better or cleverer Jehu in
all London town.
It was past twelve when the brougham stopped opposite the little passage
in Fleet Street, by the side of St. Dunstan’s Church, leading to
Clifford’s Inn. Of course the gate was locked—it always is after a
certain hour—and the porter had to be roused from slumbers which, judging
by the noise he made snoring, were deep indeed. At length he slowly
emerged from his den, looked through the latch and opened the door.
‘Is Mr. Wentworth in?’ asked the actress.
‘I believe so, ma’am.’
‘Well, I will run up and see; but don’t go to sleep, there’s a good
fellow. I shall be back directly.’
It was a lovely night, and the moon, at the full, lent an air of romance
to the place. There was evidently a good deal of life and gaiety going
on—perhaps far more than the authorities had any idea of—young men are
fond of chambers, and young men at the time of which I write were fond of
sowing wild oats in them, a remarkably unprofitable agricultural
operation. By daylight no one could imagine anything of the kind went
on, as one looks at the dull windows of the old building, or sees here
and there a few lawyers’ clerks rushing along either on business or in
pursuit of lunch. It is a handy residence for law students and pressmen,
and in the daytime it looks as dull and respectable as anyone could
desire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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