New-York tribune., 1841-05-10
BARNABY RUD G E.
Il New ayors by };e,.
CHAPTER XVI

~ NtU cOota W 10y
CHAPTER XVI
SERIES of pictures representing the OF London IN
the night the comparatively dat OF this tale
wouI present the eye something very different III
character from the reality which IS witnessed in times
ulat would be difficult for the behode to recognise his
familiar walks the altered aspect o little moro thh
halt century ago
They were and ALL from the broades and best to the
and least requentcd dark The oil apd cotton
lamps though regularly trimmed twice or thrice IL the long
winter nights burned feeblv the bcst and late hour
when they we're unasssed by the lamps and candles in the
shops cast but track of doubtful Light upon the
oetwa leaving the projecting doors and hou'cron IN tie
deepest gloom Many of the courts and lanes were lett IN
total darkness those of the where gul-
crnq light twinkled for score of houses, being favored in
no slight degree Even in these pacc, the inhabitants had
often coed for exnsuishng their lamp a. soon as 1t
was lighted and the watch being utterly inchccnt and
powerlcs 10 prevent them they did al their pleasure
Thus the ghare, there at every turn
some obseur. and dangsrou. spot whittier thet sht lily
for shelter and few would follow and the city being
beted round BY fields green lanes waste grounds and lonely
roads, dividing tina. time from the suburbs tat have
Joined since escape where the pursuit was hot was
rendered easy.
Ii wonder thut with these faveng circumstances IN
full and operation robbere often acconpa-
MED by cruel wounds and unequently by loss OF me-
should have been of nightly occurrence IN the very hcar OIL
LONDON or that quiet folks should have had great dread OF
traversing after the shops were closet lt was
not unusual those who wcndcd home alone at midnight
keep the middle of the road the better To guard against
surprise from lurking pads few would venture to repair
at late hour /, Kensh Town or Hampstead, or even TO
kcnsnren Chelsea. unarmed and Unattended wmc no
who had been loudest and valiant at the supPeaee
the tavcrn and had but mile or two to go was gad 10
fee a link-boy escort him home.
There many other characterscs-hot quite so as
agrecabc-aboa Ike thorougtarcs OF London then win
which thcy had been long familiar. Some ot the shops
especially those to the eastward OF lempic Bar sun adhered
the old practice of hanging out sign and the creaNn
and swinging of these boards their iron frames on WINDY
nights formed strange and meustu concert Tor the ears ol
those whe Law awake ia bel or hurried through the streets
LONG stands of hsckneychairs aud groups o carne com
pared with whom the coachmcn OF day are gentle ana
polite obstructed the way and filled the air with canor
ngh,eelars, indicated by little stream OF light crossing
the pavement and stretching out halt way INTO the ROAD an"
by the cd roar of voices from below yawned Tor the re-
cepon and entertainment of the abandoned OF both
sexes uador she'd and hulk small groups at nkooys
gained away the earnings OF the day; or orc more weary
than the rest gave way slocp and let the fragment o MS
torch fall kissing the pu4died ground
Then there the watch with sah and anhorn crying
i've hour and the kind Of weather and those who woke up
at his voice and turned them round in bcd glad to hear
it raincd showed blew or iroze Tor very comfort
sake. The solitary passenger vas startled oy thc
cry of By leave there TIVE came tottlns past
him with their empty vehce-carred backwards TO show
lis being diScngaged-and hurried 10 the nearest stand
Manv private chair TOO, nclong some nc lady mon
tronslv hoopcd and fur5eowed and preceded by running
ooncn bearing ambcaux-tor which extngulshers arc yet
ncndcd before the doors of few houses of the better
sor-ade the gay and light as 1t danced along ana
darker and more dismal when had passed IT was not
unusual for these running gentry, who carried win very
ich hand 10 quarrel in the servants haii WINE "ai''5 "
their masters and nistresses and, falling TO blows either
there or in the street without the place OF skriaS
with hsr-powdcr fragments OF bag-"lgs ana scattered %
r Gav,p the vice which ran hi gh among all classes
fc fashion being of course By the upper was sehcrs
the cause of these disputes cards and dice were as openly
.e1 md worked as much mischief and yielded as nuch eN
ci,ener, below stairs, above "hIc incidents IKE "o
arising OUT of drums and masquerade> ana parties Ut "
ro were passing the end OF The town. heaVy suas
cooches and scare heavier wagons we're lunoerhS SLOW"
toward the CITY The coachmen, guard and armed
,o the teeth and the coach-a day perhaps, eend us
nine hut thar was nohing-despoiled by highwaymen who
made no scrne attack. alone and single-nsnded "hoe
caravan goods and ard sometimes sot passenger o
Two a.d weSc sometimes shot themselves. just rs the case
MIGHT be- On the morrew runors of this new act OF da'ns
on the road Yielded for few hours conversation
through the town and Public Progress OF some tine gentle
man (alf drunk Tvburn dressed III the newest fashion
and damnns the ordinary with uupeaknbe Eaaniry ao
grace furnished the popuace at once pleasant excite
men, and wholesome and profound example
Among all the dangerous characters who IN Such stalt
of society prowed and skulkcd the metropolis at nsht
there was one man whom many unconh and heFce
as h. sb-I,k with an involuntary dread. Who he OF
whence he cane question often asked, but which none
could answer. His unknown he had never oeef
seer until within eight DAYS thereabouts ard was equally
stranger 20 tn old utans upon whose haun c vtnturec
aressly as the Young He could be no spy for ne never
refaoved his Souchcd hat look about n entered INTO con
vcr>atiou with h2eded nothing that passed. listened
TO no DISCOURSE regarded nobody that or went Eu
81 surely dead OF night surely this man Wa
in the midst o the loose coacourse the nghce!ar wrer
ocas every grade resor,ed asd there he sat all morning
He was nat onv spectre at icenou asts: some
thing the midst of their revery and ret that chilled a(
hnun,cd them bst doors ne the same Dlrecu
II was DARK, ht abroad-neyer in company with any one
hui always alone lingering lettering but away
/ fSo who had see