The herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1835-1837, 1837-02-03


wretchedness which exist among the lower orders of
the metropolis there Is go much Of contentment
among them. They are certainly most patient and
submissive class 1t is surprising to witness much
cheerfulness amidst so many and such great prva-
tons, as mutltudes of the lower orders have TO en-
dure You often see great flow of animal spirits in
persons for whose wardrobe no old clothes man
would give couple of farhings. Adversely has not
soured Their minds: they seem determined TO be nap
ply in defiance of circumstances. have often thought
II pity that fate-to use the term most common a.
mong themselves should not have seconded the
kindly purposes of nature, when she blessed lnem
with such patient and contented dispositions They
want but little of the good things OF the world TO
make them completely satisfied with their lot: who
can help regrehng that little should be denied them?
They have every disposition to be quite happy: 1t IS
not their fault-it is the fault of clrcumstances-lf
they are not so. How different are they in DISPOSE
ton from those above thcm 1t is the great error
and it is also misfortune for themseves--of those
moving in the upper ranks of society, to be everast-
ingly annoying themselves about some imaginary
good. Give but the lower classes as much of the
humbles food and of the planes clothing the ne
cessites Of nature require, and they are more than
satisfied. You see contentment in their faces, you
it in the tones Of their voice, and in all their acts
of intercourse together. Who that has had occasion
pass through st. Georges fields or any of the 9TH
er districts of the town in which the lowest of the
lower classes congrcgate in the greatest numbers
has not been struck with the cheeTfulness which lights
up the countenances OF young and old? Those lit
ed in bundle of rags they have no shoes or stock
ings-they never had any their faces have not been
washed for the last fornght-ther feet never; they
have had no food since they rose from their bed be-
yond two or three cold potatoes, or crust OF bread
eight days cid, and yet where will you Sc more live
ly children? The same may be said Of their parents
You them sitting at the doors of their novels, or
looking out of the wndows-the men with their Coats
and handkerchiefs off, and the women with their
caps loose-and both sexes black with dirt as if
they had severaly just made the descent Of the CHM
ney. And yet they possess as great flow of animal
spirits if they were revellng in all manner of lux
ury. In fact nothing short of absolute starvation
depress the spirits of the lower classes in the
metropolis, or render them disconnected with their
situation in life. Even the beggars in the street,
though obliged to make demure faces and to appear
as if in the very depths Of dependency when pursu-
ing their calling have their hours of unrestrancd jo
lily. They in the habit of meeting in fortes and
ffties in particular houses, appropriated in different
parts of the town for their reception, and spending
whole nights in all manner ofrevellings have been
told by those who have put on ragged clothes for the
purpose of enabling them to visit such places and see
low life without beng suspected of being other than
one of the parties themselves-that the scenes ID he
witnessed on such occasions are indescribably ro'
There is one of these houses-t IS the most celeb Z
ed one in London-in st. Giles. There beggars OF
all descriptions congregate, and make up amply for
the prvaons fthe day in the shape of "long faces"
mournfu accents, &c.-by the unresraned enjoy
ments to which they gave themselves up. The mo-
enter TIE pIcSluCtS VI the
sumed character is laid aside and they appear in their
real one There, miracles Of every kind are perform
ed. And that, too, without the agency of Prince
Hohenloe or any body else Those who but few
hours before seemed the very gates of death from
destituon, all at restored TO the full enjoy
ment of life In one corner of the place you will see
thirty forty clutches which wcreiH requlston the
whole of the day--and will be SO tomorrow again.
but which are quite useless They who could
not move without them, and scarcely with them,
short time before, are now among the most nlmbe in
the company. Perhaps they dancing in the mid
die of the floor; for one leading feature in the amuse
ments of these "jolly beggars," is that OF having
their nightly dance. You glass Of gin in every
one hand except in the hands of those who busy
in broiling Yarmouth bloatsrs the fire. There
you dozens of persons with eyes clear and keen
those of eagles, who quite blind all the day
Those whom you in the streets in the morning.
looking so ILL., that you thought they would be in
their collins before the evening, now TO their
own elegant phraseology, "all alive and kIcking"-
Every symptom of sickness has disappeared. ANY
doctor would almost warrant their lives for at least
half century. Do you see that fellow sitting on
old dirty table, the right hand side of the fire.
swinging his feet beating with stick, and hurraing
at such rate, that you would as soon have your ears
within a couple of yards of the bell of st. Pauls
Why, that is the person whom you observed at four
o'clock creeping like snail along Tottenham Court
Road, looking every respectable person he met rue
fully in the face and imporing relief in the most pitt
able accents You said then, il not without the
greatest difficulty and most acute pain, that ne was
able TO utter word even though only in a broken
Whisper suspect you are of a somewhat different
opinion now.