Daily Republican., 1884-04-23
A Nient scene In LOnd ON.

Few male visitors to London are un-
acquainted with tho neighborhood
abOst Piccadilly Circus and the top OF
the Hsymarkel, and many American
ladies also know 1t, but the latter only
70 shopping there, and are, consequent.
", only acquainted with its daylight
character. At night 1t wears differ
ent aspect. No respectable woman
should be seen IN this locality after 8
or 8 O'Clock without an escort, and even
with protector she would better be in
cab than On the sidewalks. One sees
here miniature view of the gayest life
of Paris. The glare of the cafes, the rich
and tasteful toilets Of the females, and
and the many men to be seen in full
evening dress, all remind you Of that
city, though, Of course, the scene lacks
much of tho Partisan brillianoy.
This panorama of gayety begins when
the ordinary shops have closed, and its
elimination and grand finale Is reached
when, half All hour after midnight, the
mixed crowds pour out from the fash.
ionable places of entertainment. Then
you witness sights such o. one ought
not to wish to see more than once in Q
lifetime. The Criterion side of Regent
street, below the circus, is Ona con.
glomerate mass of pleasure. seeking
humanity-the sterner and gentler
sexes mingling with the utmost aban.
don, the police seeming to have no
higher mission than simply to keep the
throng in motion. You may sing,
swear, caress, and utter the foulest talk,
but you must move on.
The females are elegantly dressed,
and many of them, in the gas light,
seem to have pretty faces, but liquor
and shame have destroyed all sense OF
decency, and as you watch their frolics
you blush for the sex they disgrace
The men, regret to say, are not all
young, nor are the youngest the most
reckless in their actions. One can ex-
cuse folly in those who know little OF
the world, and have few obligations
resting against them, for the hope is
that age will teach them discretion.
But many gray. bearded sinners are
there-some, doubtless, having wives
aud daughters at bone who regard
them as gems of innocency.
This scene is enacted nightly through
out the whole year. The characters
change, but the play goes on. A few
weeks hence many of the maze partici-
pants will have resumed habits of re-
spectability. The older will have gone
back to the bosOms OF their unsuspect-
ing families, and some Of the younger
may, perchance, have led some pure
maiden to the altar. Some OF the fe-
males, too, will have goue, but the
change for these will mean, not an up.
ward but dowL ward career-a deeper
plunge into the abyss Of vice or plunge,
it may be, in some moment Of over
whelming despair, into the Thames.
Occasionally, as a week ago, this
scene is varied by the introduction into
1t of additional elements OF uproarious'
ness and even of violence. That night
the cafes were closed at 9 o'clock. They
had TO c.ose up in self-protection, for a
mob of medical students took posses
sion aud were rapidly making kindling
wood of the furniture. Turned into
the streets, these mss, whose natures
would be better indicated if the first
letter in these initials were changed fol
an a, betook themselves to the noble
paslime of smashing gentlemen's hats
and of heaping greater indignities than
usual upon the luckless females who
infest that neighborhood. The fun con.
tinued until the early morning and nc
arrests were made, the explanation
being that it was the anniversary o.
the Prince of Wales birthday, aud thai
these gay young sparks were given an
nual license to thus make merry owe
the event.