Sinks of London Laid Open: A Pocket Companion for the Uninitiated, to Which is Added a Modern Flash Dictionary Containing all the Cant Words, Slang Terms, and Flash Phrases Now in Vogue, with a List of the Sixty Orders of Prime Coves
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Sinks of London Laid Open: A Pocket Companion for the Uninitiated, to Which is Added a Modern Flash Dictionary Containing all the Cant Words, Slang Terms, and Flash Phrases Now in Vogue, with a List of the Sixty Orders of Prime Coves
Cant; English language -- Slang -- Dictionaries; London (England) -- Description and travel; London (England) -- Social life and customs; Vice
This appeared to be a real "Sweet Home" song; it went to the heart of
every one in the room, who roared and bellowed applause, and thumped
away with their hands and feet on the floor and tables. Bet never
stopped until she had given the whole history of the Sergeant and his
dearest Nancy. This poetry and music was too congenial to be easily
set aside.
One of the same sex, and certainly one of the same family, a low,
squat, scowling, weather-beaten looking hussey, a cadger born and
bred, whose shoulders seemed as if they had been squared and rounded
by a child continually laying upon them. She was the real songstress
of low life; Vulgarity might have taken her by the hand. Throwing up
her face which was the very symbol of bad weather and an easterly
wind, doled out.
"It was down in the lowlands a poor boy did wander,
It was down in the lowlands a poor boy did roam;
By his friends he was neglected, he looked so dejected,
A poor little fisherman's boy so far away from home."
This dismal ditty, although it brought down thunders of applause, made
our very flesh to creep, as it brought to our mind cauld rainy nights,
starving times, Ratcliff Highway, and Whitechapel, as the other had
street mobs and lads whistling and singing the popular sergeant, as
they trudged home from their work at night.
They were all now in the piping mood. The wooden-legged sailor, Jack,
our old friend, would have given them "Rude Boreas," but only stiff
Mr. Grog would not let him; and, after one or two ineffectual attempts
to clear his throat was persuaded to stagger off to his berth above
stairs, respectably propped on one side by his mate, a _gemman_
rather top heavy, and his noble timber supporter on the other.
York who had slept the sleep of "deep sleep," never once being
disturbed by the din,--for as the seaman is used to the roar of the
ocean, so the cadger is used to the roar of revelry,--now opened his
eyes, and feeling his lungs and his spirits in refreshing order, made
bold to rehearse the exploits of "Bauld Turpin," that mischievous
blade; but, unfortunately for his talents as a vocalist, sung it so
much in the dry and drawling dialect of a canny Doncaster lad, that
the whole company, one and all, were fit to split their sides at York.
Songs, English, Irish, and even Welsh ditties, were bawled and drawled
out, until one after one sunk into the arms of the sleeping god.
The master and his man seized this favourable opportunity to haul and
coax away a number to bed. Harlequin, who had become fresh again, as
he would have termed it, raised the Welshman who had had the fray in
his arms, as if he had been a child, and carried him above stairs to
his resting-place. York was led most lovingly out by a comely maiden
from the mountains of Wales, who had lately become his wife for so
long a time.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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