Burke Manuscript

Burke Manuscript: Page 265

Transcript

a good many phases. Perhaps he quarrelled with one of the girls, couldn’t tell. But however he blossomed next into Mr James Willis’, Mr William Thomson’s, Mr Joey Brittan’s (or whoever the old Standard newspaper belonged to) factotum, you know, he gathered accounts and he tried to get in ads. But she died.

Well, they wanted a good discreet, virtuous young man with good credentials, to land the old people from the ships, but particularly the girls. Who better fitted? Hadn’t he had experience. And wasn’t he pleasant to speak to and particularly kind to old people, to needy people, but a jolly sight more so to young girls? And accordingly they engaged him.

For a time he was only an understaffer, and had not opportunities of developing his wonderful genius as an Immigration officer and a poor law Bumble. But he made them. Vacancies occurred. Some went to the wall, and vanished, but our young man floated. Now he could, if he would, tell us a little story about immigration and medical comforts.

But perhaps he would object. Well one mustn’t force people against their will. But there are other people who can tell a little story on the subject. Now suppose poor old Bully White, could come again from the bottom of the South American sea, or old Wraukmore of the Glenmark, from his unknown grave, or even little Babot, and a few more of them, couldn’t they tell a pretty story about the doings, not only on the immigrant ships, but after the people were landed.