The Centre reporter. [volume] (Centre Hall, Pa.) 1871-1940, 1878-01-17
Early Morning sights In a City.

IL is interesting occasionally 10 arise
early in the morning aud see the city
get up and shake itself into wakefulness.
Scarcely a sound is heard as You walk
out, but presently the street lamp man
comes dodging along on = rapid walk,
stopping at every point 10 turn out the
gas. He disappears around the corner,
leaving track Of semi-daEkness behind
him. and then comes the paper carrier.
with great, heavy sack dangling at his
side, which he gradually lightens by
pulling out the damp sheets, one by one,
sticking them under doors, tossing over
( tranSomS. and throwing through upper
windows with an unerTinR precision 0f
aim quite remarkable. He dodges about
from one side of the street TO the other.
aiming for this house, missing that, and
then darting over again 10 the opposite
/ side 10 repeat the same mnn1uvre. After
him comes the grimy laboriDg man
with n tin dinner-bncket, Fastening 10
I his work on the other side Of town. hur-
. rying by and paying no heel 10 the inc
I briAted loAfeT embracing q lamp-pOst,
/ and Accos,ing him with
"Uh.uh-ick MyfrenwAt 49, uh-ich'E
your hurry"
Then comes a belaied milk-cart. rat
Ting over the oobble-stones with noise
nothing else under heaven can make.
turning the corner ON one wheel, and
disappearing like an ill-iUunded hope.
The noise dies away in the distance, and
then comes an omnibds on its way 10
the depot, regardless OF dreams and
visions
In the all-night saloon two or three
ill-looking men. with breath like Pesti-
lence, are standing nj the counter with
half empty glasses, condemnine the
conduct Of some absent one who had
done something scandalous, and " went
back on his paris. who allus treated
him white. an would a died 10 do him
q good turn" The barkeeper rubs his
sleepy eyes, looks uneasily AT the clock
quite frequently, pours himself out
something very red. gulps Il down with
watery eyes, takes = walk 10 the door,
looks impatiently out, slams II with a
disappointed hang. returns and says:
Z" Brandy Bill Ia at his old tricks agin. q"
The others drain their glasses. after
many hand-shAkings all round. and
when n man with shocky head aud n
gifi-book cover staggers in. and swears
he never drinks alone "if there's a
stranger Of white principles IN the
room" and wants TO know what pizen
suits EN- best, " he at once takes the
position Of honor, and inhAles more
foul breath in the shape Of friendly
prntestation than n mule would put up
with, without kicking the roof off.
At the hotels the scrubhing brigade
has commenced its daily battle with dirt,
and the clerk yawns on his stool and
twirls his moustache with the air OF n
task.
A little later and the newsboys are
ont, with noses red with cold, shouting
their journals in quavering tones, and
( imporiuning every struggling passer-by
with persistence encountered in no
other calling. Then come the street.
! cars with yRwning drivers, and now and
/ then q passenger, who rubs his eyes,
and thinks regretiully OF the recently
/ vacated couch. The footballs on the
sidewalk become more frequent and
less reverberting. In the market the
scene is lively and animated. The
torches fare and splutter in the wind.
and At slight distance give TO the view q
weird. fantastic look. but on closer APP
proach the abrupt outlines mellow down
aud fade away. The potatoes and cab
bages jostle the poetic element out OF
sight, and the mAtter-of-fact plodding
faces Of the vendors remind you that
life is sordid and stern.
The gray dawn rolls away. and the
first struggling sunbeams chase each
other over housetops. Shop-boys are
busy unbarring and opening up, sweep
ing out and getting things in trim for
the days battle with profit and loss.
Thicker come the passing feet; men and
boys, girls and women, hurrying forth
TO take up the yoke of toll for bread.
Stir and hustle soon take the places OF
quiet and rest; the streets are noisy with
the roll Of vehicles and the sound OF
business. The great city has thrown of
her slumbers, and the cares and duties
Of another day are ushered in. -Cincfn-
natl Breakfast Table.