CHAPTER VI.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1839, 19 April 1884, Page 5 (Supplement)

CHAPTER VI.

" Of course you know, sir," said he, " that my name ain't Hadji Habumassn more than I'm an Arab and magician to the Sultan. The public like hoaxing, and we do it for them. If I appeared as Ebonezer Smith, born in Collingwood, I'd not draw a cent, but folks would go to see the Hadji. I won't trouble you with too much of my early history ; it's not worth while. I was born in Collingwood, right on the flat— that's why I'm so sharp— and ran about like other guttersnipes. My father had a good trade, and earned money enough in two or three days to keep drunk the rest of the week. My rnoMier took in washing, and went out by the day. It was her money that mostly kept the house. She was about as good as the ordinary run of women situated like herself, and did her best until, in despair, ehe imitated my father, and took to drink. Then we suffered. I will not trouble you with the story — you can read it every day in the papers, for its repetition is eternal. Finally, the two were sent to gaol as incorrigibles, and the children were put in the industrial schools. I parted with the only creature I ever loved, my eldest sister, poor Bess " here his voice thickened — " and the world seemed blank. I've read of the horrors of slavery when brothers and sisters are parted. They are daily re-enacted here. I .spent several years in that hell upon earth, 4he Industrial Schools, and was taught every the mind of man -has conceived. 'Bad as our father and mother were, they regained some sense of shame ; and though setting us a frightful example, endeavoured, ■when they were sober, to teach us what they ftad been taught. In the Industrial Schools ianocent children, there for no fault of their own, were mixed up with boys who had wallowed in sin and blasphemy from the time they were that height the offspring of criminals, with the heieditary taint ineradicable in them, creatures marked by their brain formation from their birth for the gaol and the gallows. My God ! that Government ,ajwuld pay money to destroy the souls and bodies of its future citizens. When I got out of that pest house I felt as if I once more frreathed the breath of life. I was like a spirit "rtleased from hell. I had a hard master, a • %%rA situation, but the change was heaven for ' 4 ;irie. Don't ask me, sir, about my sister Bess ; he went the way nine-tenths of the Industrial School girls go. My Godl when I think of it it drives me almost crazy. My parents had died while I had been in the

schools. So I was alone, for Bess had died early — she threw herself into the dark waters of that Kiver of Death, the Yarra. God in his mercy pity her ; Jesus who pardoned Mary Magdalen forgive her 1 " Poor Ebenezer was here— so agitated that he had to stop and wipe his eyes. "I have heard much about this," said Herbert, greatly moved. '„' Some day, perhaps, I will take my seat in the Legislature. If I do, I will work night and day to destroy these schools and to save the perishing chil.dren by the system of boarding out, adoption and cottage homes." * "You will, you will," cried Ebenezer. " You will become a great power, and you will use your power for good. Mon will worship you ; I always will." " Proceed," Baid Herbert, flushing ; " the afternoon wears on." "Well, sir," replied Ebby; "I can pass over the next few years in a few words. I went from one trade to another, was bandied about, being universally distrusted, as was but natural, considering the character of Industrial School boys. At last, after larrikinising about and nearly falling into the hands of the monster Idleness, the Father of Vice, I got quite accidentally the post of messenger for a great professor of presdigitation who was then astonishing Melbourne. His Sprightly got drunk one night, and 1 was dressed up in his clothes and helped the Professor. Ho was so pleased with me, for I was quick to learn and deft, and besides my antics and appearance made the audience laugh, that he kicked out Sprightly and gave me his place. I travelled all over Australia with him, and then through the East Indies, China, Japan, and India. The Professor was a generous, careless man, and he got into difficulties in Calcutta, and fled secretly to England by the steamer. Ho had taught me most of his tricks and the others I found out, so that I was in a position to set up for myself, young as I was. The Professor had given me a complete apparatus before he left, and with these I gave entertainments on the railways in the G-rangPS Valley, and did well. Nothing would do me but to return to Australia. I came back in a barque that had brought horses to India, and was wrecked and lost all, even the little money I had saved. After being on the sea in an open boat for days we were picked up by a vessel bound for London. When we arrived there, having no pther resources I shipped as a foremast hand in a vessel bound for Afrioa. In that country I got to the diamond fields, and was lucky to get a position on the staff of a panoramist, who was doing splendidly. I did the countiy with him, getting a higher salary than at first, as I added some presaigi tation to the show, and when we had worked out South Africa we returned to Melbourne. That ends my adventures. With the money I had saved I bought apparatus and set up as a magician. I did exiremely well while I kept to the country towns and the suburbs. But that did not satisfy me. When I had got a little money together I could show iv Melbourne. It cost me a large sum to rent and fit up a hall, and I went to great expense in getting up a fahy fountain. A lot of at- | tractions were in the city and the limes weie j dull, so that it took me all I knew the first week to pay the expenses without getting back a penny of the money invested, not to speak of profit. The second week the house was almost empty. I lost all. I had to pawn my apparatus to a Jew to get out of the hall, so as to earn money in the suburbs. But here misfortune awaited me. It wa3 too soon to do them again, and the suburban people had seen mo in the city. The Jew took every penny from me, to pay himself. Last night after I had given an exhibition here, the receipts of which just paid the rent and the Jew's instalment, he seized my apparatus, and declared unloss I would pay him half what was due to-day and half to-morrow he would appropriate them, as he had power to do under the bond. All my entreaties would not get him to let me have their use to-night. He won't risk that, and he has a bailiff in charge. I was brokenhearted. I could not think of one resouice. I would have to go to sea again. Then an I angel, an angel with golden hair — here his i voice softened, and a look grew in his face that made it almost handsome — " whispered to me to come to you. He is rich, he is generous," she said. "He raised the wages of his people without their asking. Ho will help you, and so I came." " Then it was an angel that sent you," said Herbert, with a smile. " Yes, sir," replied Ebenezer with a flush, " and but for hor I would not have come, for all my cheek. The fact is, sir, she's my j cousin and has an invalid mother. I've ! boarded with them, and keeping house depends upon our joint efforts, for she is — Mdlle Langlos." " Oh, I see," said Herbert. "When I arrived here from South Afrioa," said Ebenezer, " I, Alice and her mother had become poor, owing to Mrs. Mostyn being unable to pursue her calling as dressmaker at Madame Decourtet's through ill - health. Alice was 100 young to earn much money — people are paid according to age, not to ability. So I took lodgings with them, and Alice consented *to be my partener in the ! show, and we were very comfortable until my mad-headed attempt to storm Melbourne without enough mpney. Now, things look awfully black, and if help does not come, not only I will be ruined but these two poor women will be turned out of doors. The thought nearly sent me crazy. You must know I persuaded Alice and hor mother it was better to earn £5 a week as my assistant, — I could not do without a lady, — than 15s. as a seamstress. I look upon myself as the author of all their misfortunes." " Not at all," said Herbert ; " you've had bad luck. Well, the clouds will now pass away, and you can marry your sweetheart j and do well." "Ob, don't talk like that, sir," cried Ebenezer ; " I love the ground she walks on but I've never dared to tell her. She's kind enough, but I fear she dosen't love me as I do her. If I was sure of that, I'd drown myself or go to sea." "Pooh, pooh!" said Herbert, "don't be afraid; faint heart, &c. Now to end your troubles." He wrote a few lines on his crested paper and then took a cashbox out of a safe that stood in a corner. "Here's a letter," said Herbert, standing up, " authorising you to announce your Bhow !as under my patronage ; and here are fifty sovereigns, which I lend you, to be repaid when you like. Pay off the Jew's bailiff and kick him out. Then issue handbills and set the town ablaze. Go now ; go at once. I won't hear of thanks. Go, and be suocessful." And he pushed Ebenezer, who could not speak for emotion, out of the room, and closed the door. He then watched at the window and laughed at the youth's strange antics as he sped down the carriage-drive— now in a run, now turning back to look at the house of the man who had rescued him from rqin, and gesticulating wildly. Once out on the street, he ran along at railroad speed, his legs and arms flourishing about so as to make him somewhat resemble the Manx

Arms. He was soon out of sight, and Herbert retired from the window. All the exoitement and annoyance of the day, the doubts that had filled his mind, had passed away, and he felt happy and content. To do a good deed, to rescue this young fellow and hia dependents from destruction, had brought its reward. Seldom did he enjoy his dinner better.