Spring-Heel'd Jack, The Terror of London — page 262: what you’re looking at

Machine-transcribed from the original scan — historical spelling and the odd misread are preserved.

a -———_———SS 264 But the man who can boast of education, whose daily and hourly intercourse is with men pos- sessing those abilities which stamp them superior to the grades with which such men as Jackson claim kindred—the intellectual working-man or tradesman—who can descend to disgrace his manhood, by striking his wife, is a thing so utterly contemptible, that no term too base can be used towards him—no punishment that could possibly be inflicted be too severe. He is a man - without manhood—a disgrace to his sex, an eye- sore to society, and a shame to humanity. And yet, how many are there who walk daily among their fellow-men with head erect, with- out one feeling of shame? Alas! they may not be counted, they are too numerous, as, heaven knows, the reports of our police-courts show to the read- ing public. Not one-hundredth part of these rascals are brought to exposure or justice, or held up to the scorn and loathing of their fellow-men, and why? Ask their victims—ask the poor ill- used wife, and she will say, “I cannot hurt my husband.” And so the wretch, in return for mercy, plays over and over again the brutal and degrading part of woman-beater. Forgiveness to such a wretch is mistaken mercy. His back should be made to feel the cat, wielded by women’s hands and women’s will. : But we forget Bill and his wife, who were suddenly startled by the ringing of a policeman's rattle in the distance. athens This had the effect of putting an end to all further taunts for the present from Bill, who went to the street door, and peeped out. _ A trampling of feet, and several voices, all speaking at once, told him that his neighboure were returning. Closing the door silently, he went back to his wife, and, laying his hand on her arm, he'said, in a softened tone— : | “ Look here, Poll. It won’t do for us to offend either Spring-heeled Jack or old Grasper. If Jack has been collared, he’ll be down ’on me some day, if he lives. I had my hand in setting the slops after him, and if he’s got off, which I be- lieve he has, and old Grasper, finds I hung back, he'll be getting me lagged, and then, what will become of you and the kids? I tell you what you must do. If he comes back here, and he’s pretty sure to, say J haven't come in yet; that the last you saw of me I was a tearing like mad with the others. D’ye hear?” * Yes,” said the woman. “ But ch! Bill, don’t have anything more to do with him.” “Allright. You do as I tell you.” “Very well.” ‘'There’s a lot of ’em gone by, home,” he said, as several footsteps passed his door. ‘‘ If I hear a knock, I pammus out at the back, over the gar- dens, and come in after a little while, as if I'd been the last to try to collar Jack. That'll keep the old man from mischief, do you see, and I shan’t offend Jack, neither; but, upon my soul, I don’t believe he’s a man, after all.” There was a loud thump at the door. Bill started, and his wife turned pale. Shall I go, Bill?” “Wait till [ get out, of the way,” said Bill, hurriedly lighting his pipe, and darting out of the room, 1 2 AU > 7 nnn ‘mt A SPRING-HEEL’D JACK: THE TERROR OF LONDON. Thump—thump—and then the door flew back, as Bill reached the garden, and, puffing and blow- ing, old Grasper staggered into the dark passage, ‘Who's there—is that you, Bill?” asked Mrs, Jackson, nervously. ““Tt’s me! ” “Who’s me?” ‘Bring a light and see, woman!” exclaimed the angry merchant. “Oh! is it you, Mr. Grasper ?” ‘‘ Yes, it is.» Have you no light?” ‘¢ T’]l bring you one, sir.’’ “ Be sharp ! ” She entered the back room, and hurried back into the passage with the candle. “Ts Bill with you, sir?” | “Who?” | “Mr. Jackson—my husband?” she asked, in some trepidation. “No, he ain’t,’ was the curt reply. he here, woman ?”’ ; | “No, sir; he has not come back. Did he capture the—the ” “The damned scoundrel, you mean!” said Gras- per, placing his hands on his sides, and panting heavily. ‘“‘No; the fellow’s got clean off. But I'll hang on him like a shadow, till I bring him to justice.” + | | oe * Ain’t The woman made no reply.» She was wonder- ine how bill was getting on. . “So your husband has not been back, eh ?” continued Grasper. , Ree. ‘No, sire?) 3): 3 L iii no 4 ‘‘'That’s strange ! Everybody else gave up the chase long since.” | we at “ Bill would follow him as far°as he could, I know,” said the woman. » —oleuon ‘“T don’t know so. much about that,”: said Grasper. ‘“‘T have not got much faith in lim.” “Ob, sir!”. . . Idumyegn gay “No, Pve not. He will sell himself to the highest bidder,” growled Grasper. «“ If he had stood by me, that fellow could have been made prisoner in this house, and the woman would have still been in my power; and she shall be again ere long. Haven’t you got any better place than this passage? ”’ he added. “I mtend to remain till your husband returns.” ed “ Perhaps he won’t be back yet, sir,” said the woman, hoping that Grasper would go away. “Then Vl wait till he does.” ‘“As you please, sir. Will you sit down here? I haven't got a very nice room to ask you into. That’s the’ best’ chair, sir. Take that.” | codl't “ What a smell of tobacco,’’ said Grasper, as he flung himself into the chair, ‘ Phew! ‘it’s enough to make one sick.” | Mrs. Jackson trembled. | She expected Grasper to give her the lie about Bill not having been home. pu So used to the tobacco herself, she did not think that even if some had been smoked in the house that day Grasper would have discovered the smell of the weed on every article in the apartment. | “So this Spring-heeled Jack has paid you a visit before, has he ?”’ said Grasper, suddenly. ‘“So my husband says; but I did not see him. Do you think he’s a man, sir?” | | JOOK Comic a ~ ‘ , » = mm * ~ au ee eS ae at, ie ii a a es en (eco) ,aas