Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1872-12-26
NOT JUST YET.


Fifteen wears ago London was much jol
her place in every way than it is now L
had an individuality Of its own then; IL
big hotels were urbuilt. its Houses of Par
hmcrt were unfinished; it was Just
big. brown, busy city, with splendIc
river running slap through it. For it bac
= river then, with shores and noble bridges
now it has but stone trough, with lror
drain pspes across it. One rode on top o.
buses then, or darted about in hansOmS
now, declare, when | visit London,
spend all nv time IN coa)-C"Ilar. where
there is an escape Of gas. and where all the
hot cinders from re kitchen fire are emptl.
ed mean the metropolitan Railway.
Fifteen wears ago I was in London, llv'
ing on a slender pittance, and much trou
bled in the matter Of dinners. As rule
I dincd in the middle Of the dav. on chJI
sent in bv reigh5Oring publican, anc
made out with bread and cheese and heel
at night. But there were times when the
soul craved more luxurious living. Those
times generally conceded pretty accurate
lv with the advent of quarter day and then
one would 90 in for cut of Simpsons
mutton. or, if more reckless, COR dinner
at the Wellington, at that time just open
ed rice "Crockford's."
SUNDAYS were the worst days for din
ner arrangements. Bv breakiasting al
noon, indeed, one avoided the necessity o.
any luncheon; but at about five o'clock s
desperate craving would come over me,
pnawing vulture in the stomaca wOulC
ceaselesslv crv for food. frequently
confess, an empty purse conceded with an
empty stomach, and the vulture cried
in vain: but sometimes one had lew sb!l.
lines in ones pocket. and then even tEen
the problem was a difficult one where tc
dine on Sunday.
went often on such occasions TO an un
derground chamber called the Recesses
not far from Long acre. The promises o
that establishment were excellent. Soup
fish. and Joint - all for the modest SUN o
eighteen pence. The performance, how
ever. was somewhat feeble. | don't NEAR
to saw It wasn't an excellent dinner for the
money-it was But it wasn't an invigor
atiny dinner The soup was somewhat
thin, the fish was generally /" fresh" her
rings, and they'd have been better for
little salt originally. TIE JOINT was us.
uallv boiled beet, ard, You see, the Joi"t
ard the soup were like the two buckets o.
a wcIl-the stronger tho soup The less sue
culcnt the joint, AID rice retsn.
One Sunday, | remember, my funds
were getting low, very low. ! had de
termined to remain in my lodgings anc
support nature on tobacco smoke; but my
hunger was too strong 7 had few sbll
lincS LETT, and as the evening wore on, anc
the cravings ot nv appetite increased, res
olution broke down. | put on my hal
and hurried out in quest OF dinner.
How is 1t everything looks so CHASTITY OF
Sunday ! DON'T 'el me about the prick
nos Of conscience, mi>>p,nt day and al
that. Good lack, I wish III nothing
worse ;har that to reTrOach myself with
But believe it t" he a physical fact. that
on Sunday the air l. lOadcd with bile.
don't think II rises above certain lau
Cudt; I've escaped it on the heights %
Hampstead, on the Hills of Surrey; bu'
within certain distance above the levc
of the Sa | believe the air between clever
in the morning and ei..ht at night I" bt
overthareed with bile. Perhaps its owing
To- so many people being III church or cha
pei. and that thcv leave their bile outside
as thry 60 their umbrellas on a wet day.
Wien made mp my III nd to g. to the
Rrccs<cS fol dinner, 1t was becanS"
knew that there was no other place oper
the pricrS OF which would be within my
means. How dismal t looked this Sun
dqv evening, that long, low room . IT'S Ia
bc> almost deserted, save for one Or tw>
men here and there nodoing over plate
@, biscuits There was pea-Soup that nigh
remember, and t was rather good, too
The fish was f>hy, the JOINT was reduced
to stump.
Waiter" | cried, "can dispense will
the other courses, aud dine off til
soup p
III you wish, of course, sir said tn
waiter
bad three helps of that excellent pea
soup, and in each plate put a spoonful
Of dried mint. But the after result wa
not cxhiarating: it rather clogged tn
pores, think, that soup. Miserable an
depressed as went INTO the ReceSseS,
felt still more miserable, more depressP
after my dinner | had spent my pre-
scrited allowance. | couldn't 60 aDywher
or do ANYTHING. / could only 90 back t
nv gloomy lodgings through the slopp
streets, and ST., and lonely chew the GU
of bitter meditation.
The idea seemed to me horrible, and We
! now, as ever, there appeared to be no es
q cape for me from the embraces of this du
melancholy tiend. l couldn't help sayin
to myself, as sat with my chin sting o
my bands, 81 wish l were dead"