Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. VVarious
History
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, No. XXVI, July 1852, Vol. V
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
Why High-street? Why not rather Low-street, Flat-street,
Low-spirited-street, Used-up-street? Where are the people who belong
to the High-street? Can they all be dispersed over the face of the
country, seeking the unfortunate Strolling Manager who decamped from
the mouldy little theatre last week, in the beginning of his season
(as his play-bills testify), repentantly resolved to bring him back,
and feed him, and be entertained? Or, can they all be gathered
to their fathers in the two old church-yards near to the
High-street--retirement into which church-yards appears to be a mere
ceremony, there is so very little life outside their confines, and
such small discernible difference between being buried alive in the
town, and buried dead in the town-tombs? Over the way, opposite to the
staring blank bow windows of the Dodo, are a little ironmonger's shop,
a little tailor's shop (with a picture of the fashions in the small
window and a bandy-legged baby on the pavement staring at it)--a
watchmaker's shop, where all the clocks and watches must be stopped, I
am sure, for they could never have the courage to go, with the town in
general, and the Dodo in particular, looking at them. Shade of Miss
Linwood, erst of Leicester-square, London, thou art welcome here, and
thy retreat is fitly chosen! I myself was one of the last visitors to
that awful storehouse of thy life's work, where an anchorite old man
and woman took my shilling with a solemn wonder, and conducting me to
a gloomy sepulchre of needlework dropping to pieces with dust and age,
and shrouded in twilight at high noon, left me there, chilled,
frightened, and alone. And now, in ghostly letters on all the dead
walls of this dead town, I read thy honored name, and find, that thy
Last Supper, worked in Berlin Wool, invites inspection as a powerful
excitement!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account