The Lazy Tour of Two Idle ApprenticesDickens, Charles
General
The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices
Dickens, Charles
Apprentices -- Fiction; Cumbria (England) -- Description and travel -- Fiction; Walking -- England -- Cumbria -- Fiction
No very great racing to-day, so no very great amount of vehicles: though
there is a good sprinkling, too: from farmers’ carts and gigs, to
carriages with post-horses and to fours-in-hand, mostly coming by the
road from York, and passing on straight through the main street to the
Course. A walk in the wrong direction may be a better thing for Mr.
Goodchild to-day than the Course, so he walks in the wrong direction.
Everybody gone to the races. Only children in the street. Grand
Alliance Circus deserted; not one Star-Rider left; omnibus which forms
the Pay-Place, having on separate panels Pay here for the Boxes, Pay here
for the Pit, Pay here for the Gallery, hove down in a corner and locked
up; nobody near the tent but the man on his knees on the grass, who is
making the paper balloons for the Star young gentlemen to jump through
to-night. A pleasant road, pleasantly wooded. No labourers working in
the fields; all gone ‘t’races.’ The few late wenders of their way
‘t’races,’ who are yet left driving on the road, stare in amazement at
the recluse who is not going ‘t’races.’ Roadside innkeeper has gone
‘t’races.’ Turnpike-man has gone ‘t’races.’ His thrifty wife, washing
clothes at the toll-house door, is going ‘t’races’ to-morrow. Perhaps
there may be no one left to take the toll to-morrow; who knows? Though
assuredly that would be neither turnpike-like nor Yorkshire-like. The
very wind and dust seem to be hurrying ‘t’races,’ as they briskly pass
the only wayfarer on the road. In the distance, the Railway Engine,
waiting at the town-end, shrieks despairingly. Nothing but the
difficulty of getting off the Line, restrains that Engine from going
‘t’races,’ too, it is very clear.
At night, more Lunatics out than last night—and more Keepers. The latter
very active at the Betting Rooms, the street in front of which is now
impassable. Mr. Palmer as before. Mr. Thurtell as before. Roar and
uproar as before. Gradual subsidence as before. Unmannerly
drinking-house expectorates as before. Drunken negro-melodists,
Gong-donkey, and correct cards, in the night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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