employ the slang of the road, which few people can do. When a beggar
came to my door the other day, he first asked for a drink of water.
I gave him this, and had a penny ready in my hand to give him when
he returned the glass. I may as well say here that I never refuse
these men a penny, poor as I am, and whatever he is to my judgment.
If I think he is a working man, he gets the penny out of pity and
sympathy; and, if I judge him to be a real beggar, I give it to him
out of admiration. However, this man drank the water and then--not to
my surprise--asked for a mouthful of something to eat. With a smile
I gave him the penny and prepared to shut the door. But this man was
a true beggar, for getting a penny so easy, without having to talk
for it, emboldened him; so he began in a ready voice to lament his
old clothes, and to ask me if I could assist him with others. "Look
here," I said, with deliberation, and looking him straight in the
face--"Look here, matey; if I could patter as good as you I'd go on
the toe-be to-morrow." For a moment he seemed taken by surprise, and
then he drew his hand down over his face, in an attempt to wipe out
a smile; but it was of no use, for the next moment he stood grinning
from ear to ear. "I see you know the biz, gov'nor," he said, going
away; "but you know very well that sixteen farthings for the feather
takes some getting."
WILLIAM BRENDON AND SON, LTD.
PRINTERS, PLYMOUTH
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Plays by John Galsworthy
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Plays by John Galsworthy
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FAITH
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FOR THOSE TO WHOM
SUN, WIND, RAIN,
AND THE SCENT OF THE EARTH MEAN MUCH
THE HEART
OF A GYPSY
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By ROSAMOND NAPIER
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Mrs. R. S. GARNETT'S
THE INFAMOUS
JOHN FRIEND
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MEMOIRS OF A
SURREY LABOURER
BEING THE LAST DAYS OF
FREDERICK BETTESWORTH
By George Bourne
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type of Englishman who is becoming rare as time goes on. We hear his
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Transcriber's note:
Variations in hyphenation and compound words have been preserved.