LONDON PRIDE!

Waikato Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 2701, 2 November 1889, Page 5 (Supplement)

LONDON PRIDE!

[By Jajies Greenwood, is Bristol Timks.]

A TASTE OF TURTLE,

It should scarcely bo reckoned among those things that London may justly be proud of that at the present time the passion for petty gambliug has attained a hold on the working classes such as has not been known during the past quarter of a century. The Metropolitan vice takes mainly one shape—that of wagering on horse racinc. And this is not the least curious feature of the infatuation. The object being gambling pure and simple, there are plenty of competitive sporta of which most working men know something, and on which, were they so disposed, they might wager with little likelihood of being hoodwinked or cheated. They might engage in the manly exercise of skittles, quoits, or bowls; or, the weather being to warm for so much muscular exertion, they might sit down quietly and challenge fickle fortune by means of dice or cards. To be sure the law objects no less to the " boues" or the" broads," as in low society the last-inentioued implements of gambling are termed, than to public wagering on horse races ; but no one knows better than the inveterate gambler that where there is a will there is a way. Most persons know how to play whist or.cribbage, and it requires not mucb practice to leara how to tilt a

a trio of spotted ivory squares from a dice-box ; but in nine cases in ten—in ninety-nine cases in a hundred, it might almost be said—the British workman who ventures his few shillings on one of a string of equine competitors is as ignorant of its ability to wm him his waarerasof the private affairs of the King of Siam. But that trifling drawback does not deter them. Mere labourers, whose weekly wages do not exceed eighteen shillings or a pound a week, shop lads, and unwhiskered youths, the pride and glory of the counting house, no less than the shrewd and intelligent handicraftsman, are just now afflicted with an irresistablc hankering for backing horses. And, to make bad worse, the business is conducted chiefly at the bars of publichouses. Pernicious in principle, it is disastrously costly to those who indulge in it, while cunning betting book makers prosper apace, and sagely reckon on making money enough during the summer racing to keep then Tin clover during the long winter. Now and again, and by the rarest of chances, a prize turns up for tho small speculator, and it is that which keeps the game going. Nor often does it happen that a prize winner is lastingly benefited, or that his gains are put to a uneful purpose. But of course there are exceptions and a whimsical one came under my personal observation not more than a week since. A group of men and lads were elbowing for an inspection of a picture in a beershop window in Bermondsey. It was a coloured photograph of a lady and gentleman, set in a handsome frame. The former was attired in rainbow colours, and wore a straw hat of the newest mode and profusely adorned with flowers and feathers, Her male companion was arrayed in a light suit. His neck, scarf wa s fastened with a horse shoe pin, ho had rings on the finger of each hand, a white hat was perched rakishly on one side of his head, and he was smoking a large cigar scemiugly with much enjoyment. The pair were arm-in-arm, and it was evident that the satisfaction they derived from the situation was mutual.

The most curious part of it, however, was that the work of art was not exhibited on its merits merely. It was to be disposed of by raffle P Appended to the frame was a written announcement, " This photograph of Lord and Lady Porkington to bo drawed for this evening. Tickets fourpence each, to be had at tho bar." I had no recollection of the name of Porkingten in the peerage, but several of those who were gazing on the persona depicted were seemingly well acquainted with them. " That's him ! That's Bob." I overheard on individual remark to another, and that's his old woman ? That's an exact 'em both as they appeared, though I'm blessed if anybody was to see her as she now is, looking after her whelk atall out in the road ; or of Bob either, iusidc at tho present momout, moppiug up Ins pioter as fast as the fourpences come in

for the tickets." That Lord Robert Porkington should, under any circumstances, be found in a Bermondisey beershop was surely'.singular enough, but that ho should completely forget his aristocratic tastes and habits, and indulge in the odd kind of amusement the man had mentioned, seemed so extraordinary that, without the least intention of participating in the ' draw to which the fourpenny vouchers entitled the holder, I crossed thb threshold, and, approaohing the bar, asked first for a glass of ale, and then for a couple of the rafflo tickets. No sooner had I given the order to the landlady, than an individual, whose dress was that usually adopted by the British barrowman, rose from a side table, where ho was seated with his companions, and came eagerly to the counter. He was of burly build and middle aged, and perhaps slightly inebriated. "Bravo "Hie remarked with a laugh "Just in the nick of time for the pot is empty. Let us

have another quart of sixpenny, mitstis, j and two petm' orth of bacca "? I remem- , bered the observation I had overheard as , to the systematic absorption of the ticket money, and looked more particularly .it the speaker, Thero could be no mistake. It was the same individual whose likeness was shown in the coloured photograph. The dress was entirely different. The smart, well made check suit had given place to greasy fustian and corduroy, tho dandy patent leather boots to a pair of "ankle jacks" scooped and scored in the upper leathors for tho relief of corns and btiuions, the elegant white hat to a battered old "billy-cock," but tha features of the wearer undeniablo. There was tho identical nose originally of the "Roman" type, but knocked away, probably _ in some (istic encouutcr, the same high cheek bones and bold outstanding ears, and tiie jovial twinkle in the eyes, It was Lord Porkington! "That makes eighteen tickets sold, and you have drank the lot among yon," the landlady remarked with a smile. " You will all bo nicely screwed before the day_ is out if it goes on like this." To which his lordship made answer, " The more tha merrier, missus," and he blew the froth froth from the foaming quart before he raised it to his lips. " Here s once again to my noble self in the pietei, and likewise to my e'kally noble good lady. They didn't live long—only a fortnieht —but they enjoyed themselves while it lasted. They tasted turtle, and they went the pace while they were at it, and they died happy,in a manner of speakin", and respected by all who knowed them." The speaker's companions emphatically endorsed the encomiums so freely layished oil the pictured pair, but my perplexity remained undiminished. If Lord Porkington was defunct, who was this individual in coster garb who so strikingly resembled him, and how came the former in possession of the photograph, and how was his unstinted admiratioD for the original reconcilable with his disposing of it in so ignominious a way ? Being a perfect stranger to him, I could not apply for an elucidation of the mystery to the man who was " mopping up " the picture at a rate that promised its speedy complete obliteration .„ ,»< But there was his wife ? 1 he person outside had spoken of her as attending to her stall out in the adjacent high street. I had seen her portrait, and frOra that should no doubt be able to recognise her. I made the essay, and succeeded. It was not a time of the day for brisk business, and in a row with other stalls there was the one presided over by Lady Porkington Her identity was beyond a doubt, but, ns need not be said, it was uncorroborated by either the splendid parasol the hat with tho feathers and flowers. She was looking as plump and quite as cheerful as sho appeared in tho golden frame, however, but close observation discovered in her a pensiveness, as she garnished with parsley tho whelks contained in the little saucers, that seemed scarcely in keeping with her occupation. I cave her a friendly nod, and she returned it with one of such good ' humour that it was eager enough to accost her. "I am glad, inaatn, I ! remarked, " to see you looking so happy i and contented." "Well, I don t know ' you, sir, but thank you for saying so • she replied. "But lor ! Why shouldn 11 i look happy ? It was only a bit of play > acting 1 , in a manner of speaking, though : an orful extravagant one wo will say. ; But if the money hadn't come light it > wouldn't have gone light; n.--i I don t 3 regret it. Playing at mv lorn nd my i lady for a little time hasn't Hj)".it either

Bob or me, you may lay a wager." " I am glad to hear you say bo. But why not have preserved the photograph ?" And I partly withdrew from my waistooat pocket the two raffle tickets I had purchased, and which she immediately recognieod. " Lor! where would have been the good? That was our idea when we had it took, but we thought better of it, and agreed that it would be best to wipe it all out aud done with it. It makos it more like a beautiful dream to have nothing to remind us of it but the memory. But five aud thirty pounds was certainly a high figure to pay for a dream, wasn't it"? " That was what it cost, eii? But you own it was a beautiful dream,, though I should have thought you would have preferred something more substantial for your money," " Oh, don't you make any mistake about that," said Lady Porkington, with a jolly chuckle, " we went in for substantiate, specially in the way of eating. Says ray Bob, when the horse that was at forty to one, and on which he had put seven half-crowns, won, " Polly," ho says,' I've often thought that I should like to have a taste of swell lifo, though it was only for a week or two, and now we'll go in for it.' So we made a etart. You have seen the photo, so you know how we were dressed. Two and twenty blessed shillings that there parasol cost, and the hat a solid pound. "It suitod you charmingly." " Well, it certainly was becoming," Polly Porkington admitted, with a littlo sigh for the fond remembrance (she was now wearing a battered old black silk bonnot that might have beon her grandmother's), "And Bob, ho looked tip top, too. You see ho has got tho figure for it. Clothes made to your own measure do make such a diflerence, though, as he says, until they've got to work a bit easy at the hinges they do feel a bit bandagy. The two rigs obt made a holo in a ten pound note, and. theti we went at it. The Park aad Rotten Row the first day, bless you, in an open landoor and a coachman, the hire of which was five and twenty shillings, and a dinner afterwards at the swelleat dining place we could find in Regentstreet, whih the landoor waited outside to take us to the play when we had done. And oh! the wittlea! I never tasted turtle soup before! " A dubious expression on Mrs Porkington'a face led me to ask her if she liked it. " Well, I tell you plump and plain," washer answer, "not so well as the pea. It is a deal too gluifled for me. But Bob liked it. So we both, liked the fish and the poultry, and the lamb, and the beef, and the puddings, and the pastry, and all the rest of it, anJ the champagne. A quart bottle thej call it, which shows how the nobs arc tilron in TtriVi nhnftpA f.llß TOairor ilhoilt

it, and ho would have given it to him hotter only that we were doing the genteel, and ho hadn't command enough of that style of language so do it. Talk about the money flying ! Why the play alone was fifteen shillings. ,' Stalls, sir' ? says the man at the pay place. ' Ha, ha' ! Bob he turned red. ' What do we know about stalls'? he says. ' Take for two to the best part.' "

"That was how we went it, sir. Doing the grand day after day for a whole fortnight:, which was just the time the money lasted. And to tell you the truth I wasn't sorry when it was all over. It is all very well, but it is a deal more tiring than hard work, and more headachy and bilious, Bob's of that opinion too, and having already pawned his swell suit and his watch and chain for stock money, he was glad to get back into his corduroys, and with to-morrow to recover from the effects of the raffle money, he will start for Billingsgate on Monday morning as though nothing had happened."