The Sun.
London, England, 1839-04-02 00:00:00

GREENWICH FAIR.

Yesterday lacing Easter Monday this fair commenced,
and so far as regards the number of booths, and appliances
to boot,‘ there was sufficient to satisfy the most ardent
aspirant of midnight brawls, whether he be a liberty-
loving cockney linen-draper's assistant, or the more re-
nowned sprig of Irish aristocracy. During the morning
the attendance of visitors was very indifferent, in conse-
quence of the threatening state of the weather, and the
Park was nearly deserted in comparison to former occa-
sions of the kind. The streets in the vicinity of the
Fair and the Park were lined with goddesses of the
tea-pot, who in quick succession accosted the passers by
with the enticing announcement of " Good accommoda-
tion.' for tea, Sir." One of these bread and butter depots
presented a more conspicuous appearance than the rest,
from an immense tea-pot being placed against the exte-
rior of the first floor, from the spout of which issued a
quantity of steam. The countenances, however, of the
speculators upon holiday spendthrifts bespoke that the
most desired prosperity did not shine upon their allure-
ments.

The principal . booths and shows in the fair were
Algar's, Nelson Lee's, Clarke's, and Wombwell's. The
latter has not attended this fair for some years previously,
and his collection upon this occasion was certainly the
most prominent and deserving exhibition among the
whole. The fair has this year been extended to an-
other and totally different part of the town, by the
erection of the Victoria booth, on some ground be-
longing to Mrs. Watson, at the foot of Royal-hill, on
the High London-road. Some of the inhabitants op-
posite endeavoured, but without success, to prevail upon
the Magistrates to prevent the erection. The booth is
calculated to hold 2,000 persons, and is 170 feet in
length, and 52 in width. Part of Wcippart's band was
stationed outside ; and it is but necessary to observe, in
favour of the arrangements in the interior, that it is the
same booth which attracted so much notice at Hyde
Park fair and Ascot races. The usual number of ma-
chines for the amusement of what is termed " going
round the world," but which might be more appro-
priately termed " going out of the world," from their
dangerous construction, together with swings and round-
abouts, were in requisition. Kiss in the ring, scram-
bling for oranges, and petty gaming, were the chief
recreations in the Park ; not omitting, however, broken
heads and limbs in running down Flamstead and One-
tree Hill. The police had, as at former fairs, extra duty
to do ; and deep-laid schemes of seduction and plunder
were carried out with the ordinary success which com-
monly attends them at Greenwich fair.
A young woman, named Sarah Parr, was got out of the
Surrey Canal en Sunday evening, and conveyed to the
Black Horse public-house, at Deptford, by Sergeant
Lovell, of the R.division. She was, after much difficulty,
restored, and ultimately conveyed to her friends, whose
names the reporter did not obtain. Throughout the
day fewer accidents occurred on the London-road than
formerly, owing, no doubt, to the decreased number of
conveyances used in the turnpike road since the com-
pletion of the Railway. William Day, of No. 3, An-
thony-street, St. George's,. furiously drove against a
chaise belonging to Mr. Keil, of No. 6, Platt-place,
Peckham, and broke the splinter-bar. Day's cart was
upset by the concussion, and two men who were riding
in it were seriously injured. The Railroad trains, con-
sisting of from eight to ten carriages, started at inter-
vals of seven or eight minutes, and towards the after-
noon the steam-boats appeared to be well filled.
Extra men were employed in the Park to look
after the trees and maintain order, but the proceedings
of Tuesday, gave the clearest proof of Magisterial in-
consistency when the late attempt to suppress Sunday
trading in Greenwich was contrasted with the scene of
debauchery and vice which was permitted to run riot on
Easter Sunday. The sounds of the Church bells for
Divine Service were occasionally lost in the vociferations
and ribaldry of the men and boys who were assembled
in the Park. The public are too well acquainted with
the cruelties that are indulged in on Blackheath
i at holi-
day-time to render comment necessary, but it s to be
hoped that energetic measures have been adopted in re-
ference to it by the Society for the Prevention of
Cruelty to Animals. The Society might employ most
beneficially an extra number of men on occasions like
these.

A SCENE FROM NICHOLAS
NICKLEBY.

" I know what you've got to go through," said Miss
Squeers, shaking her curls violently. " I know what
life is before you, and if you was my bitterest and
deadliest enemy, I could wish you nothing worse."
" Couldn't you wish to be married to him yourself,
if that was the case?" inquired Mr. Browdie, with great
suavity of manner.

" Oh, ma'am, how witty you are !" retorted Miss
Squeers, with a low curtsey, " almost as witty, ma'am,
as you are clever. How very clever it was in you,
ma'am, to choose a time when I had gone to tea with
my 'pa, and was sure not to come back without being
fetched! What a pity you never thought that other
people might be as clever as yourself, and spoil your
plans!" _

" You won't vex me, child, with such airs as these,"
said the late Miss Price, assuming the matron.
" Don't Missis me, ma'am, if you please, " returned
Miss Squsers, sharply. " I'll not bear it. Is this the
hend-"

" Dane it a'," cried John Browdie, impatiently.
" Say thee say out, Fanny, and mak' sure it's the end,
and dinnot ask nobody whether it is or not."

" Thanking youfor your advice, which was not re-
quired, Mr. Browdie," returned Miss Squeers, with la-
borious politeness, " have the goodness not to presume
to meddle with any Christian name. Even my pity
shall never make me forget what's due to myself, Mr.
Browdie. 'Tibia," said Miss Squeers, with such a sud-
den accession of violence that John started in his boots,
" I throw you off, for ever, miss. I abandon you, I re-
nounce you. I wouldn't." cried Miss Squeers in a so-
lemn voice, " have a child named 'Tilda—not to save it
from its grave."
" As for the matther o' that," observed John, " it'll
be time eneaf to think aboot neaming of it when it
cooms."
" John !" interposed his wife, " don't tease her."

Oh ! tease, indeed !" cried Miss Squecrs, bridling
up. " Tease, indeed ! He ! he! Tease, too ! No,
don't tease her. Consider her feelings, pray."
" If it's fated that listeners are never to hear any
good of themselves," said Mrs. Browdie, " I can't help
it, and lam very sorry for it. Bat I will say, Fanny,
that times out of number I have spoken so kindly of you
behind your back, that even you could have found no
fault with what I said."

" Oh, I dare say not, ma'a►n !" cried Miss Scpecrs,
with another curtsey. " Best thanks to you for your
goodness, and begging and praying you not to be hard
upon me another time !"

" I don't know," resumed Mrs. Browdie, " that I
have said anything bad of you, even now—at all events,
what I did say was quite true ; but if I have, I am
very sorry for it, and I beg your pardon. You have
said much worse of me, scores of times, Fanny ; but I
have never borne any malice to you, and I hope you'll
not bear any to me."

Miss Squeers made no more direct reply than survey-
ing her former friend from top to toe, and elevating
her nose in the air with ineffable disdain. But some in-
distinct allusions to a " puss," and a " minx," and a " con-
temptible creature," escaped her ; and this, together
with a severe biting of the lips, great difficulty in swal-
lowing, and very frequent comings and goings of breath,
seemed to imply that feelings were swelling in Miss
Squeers' bosom too great for utterance.

" I leave such society, with my 'Pa, for hover," said
Miss Squeers, looking contemptuously and loftily round.
" I am defiled by breathing the air with such creatures.
Poor Mr. Browdie ! He ! he ! he! I do pity him, that
I do ; he is so deluded ! He! he! he ! A rtful and de-
signing 'nick!"
With this sudden relapse into the sternest and most
majestic wrath, Miss Squeers swept from the room ;
and, having sustained her dignity until the last possible
moment, was heard to sob, and scream, and struggle in
the passage.