Around the World in 88 Years -E Book - Arthur Burt

my father’s second marriage. Many years would pass before Icould fully comprehend my background.An aura of mystery surrounded my father, a doctor who hadbeen crossed off the medical register for misconduct. He had beenperforming illegal abortions and peddling drugs. He was a blaspheming,drunken, gambling man, and yet, a man who was superiorin many ways to most people around him.2Once Father had entered intomoral disgrace, he did like mostpeople would do. He fled fromwhere he was known, down inSouthampton, and moved upto Newcastle-on-Tyne where heopened a drugstore. A younggirl of 15 entered that drugstoreone day, and that was the beginning.Nine years later, thatyoung girl, who would one daybe my mother, married my father.Father invented a false backgroundfor himself so no onewould know of his secret pastFatherand private life. Later, wewould learn that his first wife,a schoolteacher, had left him in a grievous situation. They hadtwo sons, and her brother lived with them. One day, during adrunken brawl, my father picked up a poker and split his brotherin-law’shead open. His wife took the two boys and left him,never to return.My father continued this kind of life, gradually sinking into moreand more sin and wickedness. I don’t know how many womenhe had. I do know at least one woman, his housekeeper, livedwith him for a time and had a baby by him. It was difficult tolearn anything more about this because of the scandal involved,so this part of his life remained in the past.My grandfather, on my mother’s side of the family, had a publichouse, a drinking saloon in Newcastle-on-Tyne. Grandfather was