Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXIX., October, 1852Various
Religion
Harper's New Monthly Magazine, Vol. V, No. XXIX., October, 1852
Various
American literature -- Periodicals; Civilization -- Periodicals; Culture -- Periodicals
While the twain are faithful to their post, Mr. George strides through
the streets with a massive kind of swagger and a grave enough face. It
is eight o'clock now, and the day is fast drawing in. He stops hard
by Waterloo Bridge, and reads a playbill; decides to go to Astley's
Theatre. Being there, is much delighted with the horses and the feats
of strength; looks at the weapons with a critical eye; disapproves of
the combats, as giving evidences of unskillful swordmanship; but is
touched home by the sentiments. In the last scene, when the Emperor of
Tartary gets up into a cart and condescends to bless the united lovers,
by hovering over them with the Union-Jack, his eye-lashes are moistened
with emotion.
The theatre over, Mr. George comes across the water again, and makes
his way to that curious region lying about the Haymarket and Leicester
Square, which is a centre of attraction to indifferent foreign hotels
and indifferent foreigners, racket-courts, fighting-men, swordsmen,
foot-guards, old china, gaming houses, exhibitions, and a large medley
of shabbiness and shrinking out of sight. Penetrating to the heart of
this region, he arrives, by a court and a long whitewashed passage, at
a great brick building, composed of bare walls, floor, roof-rafters,
and skylights; on the front of which, if it can be said to have any
front, is painted GEORGE'S SHOOTING GALLERY, &C.
Into George's Shooting Gallery, &c., he goes; and in it there are
gas-lights (partly turned off now), and two whitened targets for
rifle-shooting, and archery accommodation, and fencing appliances, and
all necessaries for the British art of boxing. None of these sports
or exercises are being pursued in George's Shooting Gallery to-night;
which is so devoid of company, that a little grotesque man, with a
large head, has it all to himself, and lies asleep upon the floor.
The little man is dressed something like a gunsmith, in a green baize
apron and cap; and his face and hands are dirty with gunpowder, and
begrimed with the loading of guns. As he lies in the light, before a
glaring white target, the black upon him shines again. Not far off, is
the strong, rough, primitive table, with a vice upon it, at which he
has been working. He is a little man with a face all crushed together,
who appears, from a certain blue and speckled appearance that one of
his cheeks presents, to have blown up, in the way of business, at some
odd time or times.
"Phil!" says the trooper, in a quiet voice.
"All right!" cries Phil, scrambling up.
"Any thing been doing?"
"Flat as ever so much swipes," says Phil. "Five dozen rifle and a dozen
pistol. As to aim!" Phil gives a howl at the recollection.
"Shut up shop, Phil!"
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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