The Argosy — page 130: what you’re looking at

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

Roger Bevere. 117 ment of some sort with one of the said girls, Miss Lizzie Field, and was drawn-in to marry her.” ‘‘ How have you learnt these particulars ? ” “Partly from Scott. They are true. Scott has a married brother living up this way, and is often running up here ; indeed at one time he lived with him, and he and Bevere used to go to and fro to St. Bartholomew’s in company. Yes,” slowly added the doctor, ‘‘ that refreshment room has been the bane of Roger Bevere.” * And not of Scott ?” “Tt did Scott no good; you may take a vow of that. But Scott has some plain, rough common-sense of his own, which kept him from going too far. He may make agood man yet; anda name also, for he possesses all the elements of a skilful surgeon. Bevere suc- cumbed to the seductions of the bar-room, as other foolish young fellows, well-intentioned at heart, but weak in moral strength, have done, and will do again. Irresistible temptations they present, these places, to the young men who have to come in contact with them. If the lads had to go out of their way to seek the temptation, they might never do it ; but it lies right in their path, you perceive, and they can’t pass it by.—Of course I am not speaking of all young men ; only of those who are deficient in moral self-control. To some, the Bell-and Clapper bar-room presents no more attraction than the Bell-and-Clapper church by its side; or any other of such rooms, either.” “Is there not any remedy for this state of things ? ” Pitt shrugged his shoulders. ‘I suppose not,” he said. ‘‘Since I pulled up from drinking, I have been unable to see what these underground-railway rooms are needed for: why a man or woman, travelling but for half an hour, more or less, must needs be pro- vided with places to drink in at both ends of the journey and all the middles. Biscuits and buns are there as well, you may say— serving as anexcuse perhaps. But for one biscuit called for, there are fifty glasses of ale, or what not. Given the necessity for the rooms,” added Pitt, with a laugh, “I should do away with the lady- servers and substitute men; which would put an end to three parts of the attraction. No chance of ¢/a¢ reformation. “Because it would do away with three parts of the custom,” I said, echoing his laugh. “Be you very sure of that, Johnny Ludlow. However, it is no business of mine to find fault with existing customs, seeing that I cannot alter them,” concluded the doctor. What he said set me thinking. Every time I passed by one of these stations, so crowded with the traffic of young city men, and saw the bottles arrayed to charm the sight, their bright colours gleaming and glistening, and looked at the serving damsels, with their bedecked heads, arrayed to charm also, I knew Pitt must be right. These rooms might bring in grist to their owners’ mill; but it struck VOL. XXXVII, (CONMME NOVO KS (E©) m