, 1873-07-13

rehabilitation of the EnE1ish
Capital.

rehabilitation of ahe English
Capital.
London {EdstoriaD Correspondence v tbs Loufsvilh
CoHrier-Journal
It usod to bo said that Paris was the Tickodast
city in tho world; therefore it WAS tho Paradiuo
Of Americans, BY tho same token London Ia
beginning to offcr itself as rival Of tho gay
Freneh capital, Thoro was timo whom tho
British metropolis, if slow, and steady, and dull
possessed simple and worry attractive goniA!ity
of its own. That tmo Ia gone. Villainy aud vice
aro now soryod up au gratin in London, and QUO
can no longer find plain chop and potato. mug
OF nlo and homely song, without having tllom
soasoued with all sorts OF lasoivious feminine
condiments, which belong OF right to tho
Douloyards and not to tho Strand. I do not
moan TINT thero Vero fower prostitutes in Lon
don ton yoars ago than thore arc now, or TINT
the aggregation Of crime in London was cyor
less than in Paris. I mean that they made
lighter Of it in Paris th,n In London; that tho
French drcssod 1t and caresBed it as tho English
did not and TINT whilstyou. met it, 90 to say
in good society At Paris. }ou met 4 in London
proper hannte. Ono toes to the Jardin
hlnbille and tho Argyll. Rooms to 500
world which Is givcn orar to licontousnoss.
Tho decorations arc BEAUTIFUL, the il1uni-
hardly DO Improved. The demi-n,onde IL
thero in its most yoluptunn attire. It is really
bad enough and bright enolghto be exceedingly
entertaining. But there a1e those who hnyo
psssb as aS nhsn fpsoa s Il @ o tsye l
away from pink checks, and spangled potticoats,
aud colored lamps, as Dr.. johnson once turned
away from two ycstals saying " tiddo-da-doe,
my dears;" who, having o1haaMtod tho frivolous
sentimenthlities OF Cremorno, ,ook with hun
cry stomach towards Covcnt dlrden Market.
There once WAS, md there still Is, In this par
ticular quarter Of London d famous cotfoe-
I. house, which tho old vita md bank wo1o wont
second chapter Of the Nowoqnes, known as
Evans'. When ! first know Evans it wns
rough place, facing tho marlat, without any
ahow or ornament whatever, n, recollection III
that no fec was charged a7 at thsdoor. You ; on;
with old portraits Of old halltues, such as
Botterton, and nIacklin, and Diston, and
Farquar, and Keene, and furnished with rough
| deal-tables and chairs. A. retired comedian,
Paddy dron by name, was iss managers and ho
| treated each comor ~ his own private guest,
| The bill Of faro WAS limited You got . chop
and potato and . pewter Of ,le; nothing else.
But theao were peerless. .prep'red and served in
an incompatible way. You ut down at table !;
kin as white as Hnow, and pewter plato as BhiuY
as silver, and knife aud fork, Then no went
away and presently returned NTH two little
shiny pewter globes, smoking hot, and poyter
|
ous. The g]otsa parted In ono there
potato. Tho waiter caught up tho potato
ina napkn g.ve tho napkin twias and onP'iea if
tanksrd apl cut poured a stream Of foamay am
ber. All the while a droll old-fnshioned con-
| cert wasgolng on, old songa, old dances, old
| gleea AID old ohorusea. with ono moral, ba kind
cut heartily, sleep soundiy. love God, and servo
the King. Not q ohemisetto WAS to be seen.
There was one place In London at least whore q
man might be tree aud eaBy without having to
break the seventh commandment: moro
vrtaoHs mofS upght. and esTst'i;ng more
tert.iumant could not be devised.
The ether night, being considerably bored a.
tho Alhan,hra Theatre In Lelcostor Square,
Chese thoy sEe doing nov edition q the n!so S;'
my WY out through tho tobacco smoke and
atru1pets, Btrolleti down there, finding 1t with
out any trouble, for great tlarlng sign IN glit:
tering gas Jets, Eyanh," now Illuminated the u
tosr, I ontored to fnd not tho jolly Old deal
board common.placeB, tho Hmoke-Btaiued boant
and rnftora, tue old portraita but n,agnlileont!j
furnished and freacoed apartment, fitted up llkt
II lighted. aud quite AZ splordd md unnatural ~ o.
Bob Aores after luis entroo into polite soclety Tht
muHlc, however, proved to bo unchanged ANT
good, the chops still o1oellont, aud. OIL th'
whole, tho evening pasHoa on pleasantly onongl'
bo1os ranging round tho main hall were occs'
pied, mud. ol1anoing to look innocontly into on'
Of tholn, distinctly aas Q young naan kissing
young woman. pethapB 1t was h!s swaos!oart
but lE was enough to satnfy ono that tho glort,
holnalinesB sud Its gonallty, its quaint ~ an'
hearty humor, ita ohopH, POTATOES, and alo
It vas 3 place IN which ono could mellow an'
overfoS' about hie mother, about hts nlster, an
-, tEnr.{ law