A Rogue's Life

in a curious way, and led, unexpectedly en

by practice in secret after I left school, and I ended by making it a source of profit and pocket money to me when I entered the medical profession. What was I to do? I could not expect for years to make a halfpenny, as a physician. My genteel walk in life led me away from all

uest not to mention my name. Rather to my surprise (for I was too conceited to be greatly amazed by the circumstance), the publisher picked out a few of the best of my wares, and boldly bought them of me-of course, at his own price. From that time I became, in an anonymous way, one of the young buccaneers of British Caricature; cruising about here, there and everywhere, at all my intervals of spare time, for any prize in the shape of a subject which it was possible to pick up. Little did my highly-connected mother think that, among the colored prints in the shop-window, which disrespectfully illustrated the public and pri

Privy Purse fairly supplied by the exercise of my caric

y of my illicit manufacture of caricatures was actually communicated even to the grandmotherly head and fount of the family honor, is a most certain and lamentable matter of fact. One morning my father received a letter from Lady Malkinshaw herself, informing him, in a handwriting crooked

nied everything. Useless. My original model for the owl

as quite ready to obey, on the condition that he should reimburse me by a trebled allowance for what I should lose by giving up the Art of Caricature, or that Lady Malkinshaw should confer on me the appointment of physician-in-waiting on her, with a handsome salary attached. These extremely moderate stipulations so increased my father's anger, that he asserted, with an unmentionably vulgar oath, his resolution to turn me out of doors if I did not do as he

orably viewed by my mother, as tending to remove any possibility of my b

dried up under a tropical sun, so as to look as if he would keep for ages; he had two subjects of conversation, the yellow-fever and the advantage of walking exercise: and he was barbarian enough to take a violent dislike to me. He had proved a very delicate fish to hook; and, even when Annabella had caught him, my fa

s, I naturally returned to the busine

nd myself in the very absurd position of having no money to pay them, and told them all so with the frankness which is one of the best sides of my character. They received my advances toward a better understanding with brutal incivility, and treated me soon afterward with a want of confidence which I may forgive, but can never forget. One day, a dirty stranger touched me on

ouse? Have I any anxieties outside these walls? No: for my beloved sister is married-the family net has landed Mr. Batterbury at last. No: for I read in the paper the other day, that Doctor Softly (doubtless through the interest of Lady Malkinshaw) has been ap

ern Prison Life,' by Thersites Junior. The two first designs will be ready by the end of the week, to be pa

rd and esteem, f

K SOF

yself to my fellow-debtors, and to study character for the new series of pr

agine, if anybody will be so obliging as to pass a week or so over the catalogue of the British Museum. My fertile pencil has delineated the characters I met with, at that period of my life, with a force and distinctness which my pen cannot hope to rival-h

he matter of liquor and small loans, reconciled a large proportion of the objectors to their fate; the sulky minority I treated with contempt, and scourged avengingly with the smart lash of caricature. I was at that time probably

r. He was in the prime of life, but very bald-had been in the army and the coal trade-wore very stiff collars and prodigiously long wristbands-seldo

the sixth print of my series, Gentleman Jones, highly caricatured, was to form one of the principal

ge me by not caricaturing my personal peculiarities. I am so unfortunate as not to possess

ot of the slightest importance whether you see the joke

r all burst out laughing. Gentleman Jones, not in the least altere

e came a knock at the door, and Gentleman Jones walked in. I got up, and as

esson in politeness,"

mean, sir? Ho

ed with great neatness-and received in return a blow on the head, which sent me down on the

have the honor to inform you that you have now received your first lesson in politeness. Always be civil to those wh

ssion of the slap was red on my face still, but the mark of the blow was hidden by my hair. Under these fortunate circumstances, I was able to keep up my character among my friends, when they inquired about the scuffle, by informing them that Gentleman J

civilly as usual when we met in the yard; he never denied my version of the story; and when my friends laughed at him as a thrashed man, he took

s my liquor lasted he stopped; when it was gone, he went away. I was just locking the door

o call for help. I tried to get to the fireplace and arm myself with the poker, but Gentleman Jones was too qu

his terrible left fist reached my head again; and down I f

Always speak the truth; and never say what is false of another man behind his back. To-morrow, wit

sy, and complimenting me on the extraordinary aptitude with which I profited by the most incomplete and elementary instruction. I thought I deserved the compliment, and I think so still. Our conduct, as I have already intimated, was honorable to us, on either side. It was honorable attention on the part of Gentleman Jones to correct me when I was in error; it was honorable common sense in me to profit by th