THE rain was falling on the dirty pavements of Liverpool as Jerome left
the vessel after her arrival. Passing the custom-house, he took a cab,
and proceeded to Brown's Hotel, Clayton Square.
Finding no employment in Liverpool, Jerome determined to go into the
interior and seek for work. He, therefore, called for his bill, and made
ready for his departure. Although but four days at the Albion, he found
the hotel charges larger than he expected; but a stranger generally
counts on being “fleeced” in travelling through the Old World, and
especially in Great Britain. After paying his bill, he was about leaving
the room, when one of the servants presented himself with a low bow, and
said,--
“Something for the waiter, sir?”
“I thought I had paid my bill,” replied the man, somewhat surprised at
this polite dun.
“I am the waiter, sir, and gets only what strangers see fit to give me.”
Taking from his pocket his nearly empty purse, Jerome handed the man a
half-crown; but he had hardly restored it to his pocket, before his eye
fell on another man in the waiting costume.
“What do you want?” he asked.
“Whatever your honor sees fit to give me, sir. I am the tother waiter.”
The purse was again taken from the pocket, and another half-crown handed
out. Stepping out into the hall, he saw standing there a good-looking
woman, in a white apron, who made a very pretty courtesy.
“What's your business?” he inquired.
“I am the chambermaid, sir, and looks after the gentlemen's beds.”
Out came the purse again, and was relieved of another half-crown;
whereupon another girl, with a fascinating smile, took the place of the
one who had just received her fee.
“What do you want?” demanded the now half-angry Jerome.
“Please, sir, I am the tother chambermaid.”
Finding it easier to give shillings than half-crowns, Jerome handed the
woman a shilling, and again restored his purse to his pocket, glad that
another woman was not to be seen.
Scarcely had he commenced congratulating himself, however, before three
men made their appearance, one after another.
“What have _you_ done for me?” he asked of the first.
“I am the boots, sir.”
The purse came out once more, and a shilling was deposited in the
servant's hand.
“What do I owe you?” he inquired of the second.
“I took your honor's letter to the post, yesterday, sir.”
Another shilling left the purse.
“In the name of the Lord, what am I indebted to you for?” demanded
Jerome, now entirely out of patience, turning to the last of the trio.
“I told yer vership vot time it vas, this morning.”
“Well!” exclaimed the indignant man, “ask here who o'clock it is, and
you have got to pay for it.”
He paid this last demand with a sixpence, regretting that he had not
commenced with sixpences instead of half-crowns.
Having cleared off all demands in the house, he started for the railway
station; but had scarcely reached the street, before he was accosted by
an old man with a broom in his hand, who, with an exceedingly low bow,
said,--
“I is here, yer lordship.”
“I did not send for you; what is your business?” demanded Jerome.
“I is the man what opened your lordship's cab-door, when your lordship
came to the house on Monday last, and I know your honor won't allow a
poor man to starve.”
Putting a sixpence in the old man's hand, Jerome once more started
for the depot. Having obtained letters of introduction to persons in
Manchester, he found no difficulty in getting a situation in a large
manufacturing house there. Although the salary was small, yet the
situation was a much better one than he had hoped to obtain. His
compensation as out-door clerk enabled him to employ a man to teach him
at night, and, by continued study and attention to business, he was soon
promoted.
After three years in his new home, Jerome was placed in a still higher
position, where his salary amounted to fifteen hundred dollars a year.
The drinking, smoking, and other expensive habits, which the clerks
usually indulged in, he carefully avoided.
Being fond of poetry, he turned his attention to literature. Johnson's
“Lives of the Poets,” the writings of Dryden, Addison, Pope, Clarendon,
and other authors of celebrity, he read with attention. The knowledge
which he thus picked up during his leisure hours gave him a great
advantage over the other clerks, and caused his employers to respect
him far more than any other in their establishment. So eager was he to
improve the time that he determined to see how much he could read during
the unemployed time of night and morning, and his success was beyond his
expectations.