Great Britain -- Social conditions -- 19th century; London (England) -- Description and travel
The restlessness of a great city, and the way in which it tumbles and
tosses before it can get to sleep, formed one of the first entertainments
offered to the contemplation of us houseless people. It lasted about two
hours. We lost a great deal of companionship when the late public-houses
turned their lamps out, and when the potmen thrust the last brawling
drunkards into the street; but stray vehicles and stray people were left
us, after that. If we were very lucky, a policeman’s rattle sprang and a
fray turned up; but, in general, surprisingly little of this diversion
was provided. Except in the Haymarket, which is the worst kept part of
London, and about Kent-street in the Borough, and along a portion of the
line of the Old Kent-road, the peace was seldom violently broken. But,
it was always the case that London, as if in imitation of individual
citizens belonging to it, had expiring fits and starts of restlessness.
After all seemed quiet, if one cab rattled by, half-a-dozen would surely
follow; and Houselessness even observed that intoxicated people appeared
to be magnetically attracted towards each other; so that we knew when we
saw one drunken object staggering against the shutters of a shop, that
another drunken object would stagger up before five minutes were out, to
fraternise or fight with it. When we made a divergence from the regular
species of drunkard, the thin-armed, puff-faced, leaden-lipped
gin-drinker, and encountered a rarer specimen of a more decent
appearance, fifty to one but that specimen was dressed in soiled
mourning. As the street experience in the night, so the street
experience in the day; the common folk who come unexpectedly into a
little property, come unexpectedly into a deal of liquor.
At length these flickering sparks would die away, worn out—the last
veritable sparks of waking life trailed from some late pieman or
hot-potato man—and London would sink to rest. And then the yearning of
the houseless mind would be for any sign of company, any lighted place,
any movement, anything suggestive of any one being up—nay, even so much
as awake, for the houseless eye looked out for lights in windows.
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