New-York tribune., 1884-01-13
A LONDON HOLIDAY.
WHAT IS TO BE SEEN IN OXFORD-ST. IN
CHRISTMAS WEEK.

LONDON, December %.
An east wind and white fog have been bestowed
on Ms for Christmas and for the day following
Christmas. crst known as Boxing Day, and now
more faInilary as one of those Bank Holidays
which the wel-meaning benevolcuce of Parliament,
,nsprcd bv the kindly zeal of Sir John Lubbock.
established as a gift TO the working classes. Be-
longing myself to the working classes ! ain but
moderately grateful for the gift The outdoor
hilarty Of the Lond0ner, which these festivals are
meant TO promote is a melancholy thing to witness
7 Laye lust seen two miles of it, and SIT down 10
write in "A state of depression which will not try TO
iupart TO my readers The east wind and white fog
have little or nothing to do with the matter Per
haps they rather improve the situation, for they
diminish the number OF people III the streets. ana
they family screen the monotonons misery OF the
highways The shops are shut. They were shut
Yesterday; some of them were shut the day before
that. which was Monday; all of them were shut on
the SUNDAY and no suall number had closed at
D. H. on Saturday, some 10 remain closed till the
Thursday following, which is tomorrow So far as
cxteuas GO here at least three Sundays in four
days, aud all the world knows that a London Sun
day to one who steps outside his own front door, if
he be happy enough 70 have front door of his own,
IS not a cheerful thing.
The second was Il beggar. II was Il firm of beggars,
or perhaps they were the representatives OF d firm
of bergars One Of them was coming up the steps
of an area The other had in his hand ruled paper
something like the ruled schedule of an omnibus
conductor with black spaces for names and sums of
money received The third man, three steps further
on belonged, like the first two. to the nnumcrable
army of backmaiers for whom Christmas week is
one organized campaign against the peaceful house
holder. He was tTadesnan's assistant. His busi-
ness at ordinary times is to take orders from the
cook or housekeeper at the area door and TO deliver
the things ordered at the same door Il few hours
later For this service his employer charges
ira price on every purchase made. The assistant
none the less expects you at Christmas TO pay
him fee for having done his employers work. and
il was this fee which this third man was now col
lecting house by house. Woe be unto yon # you do
not pay Al the next corner came the next beg2ar
in the person of crossing sweeper, but this is per
manent and not a casual form of mendicancy. 1t
assails You daily, and dozen or a score of times
daily. Before have gone a hundred yards come
upon public-house; an institution which answers
as nearly as may be TO the bar of New-YOrk and
other American cities; bar. generally. of a hum
ble kind humble even when it calls itself gin pal
ace 1t is barely noon, but the sidewalk in front of
this public Ct is called public for short is occupied
by d committee considerable In number. who have
made il their duty even at this early hour to taste
and test the quality of the beer dispensed within
the battered swinging doors, half ground glass of
this establishment. Three cabs-twO hansoms and
fOur-wheeer-are drawn up at the curb the
drivers of them drinking inside.
Bank Holiday is a Sunday and something more
My two miles walk Is along an avenue of closed
shutters. There are people on the sidewalks, bn.
the animation and gayety which enliven the busy
thoroushfares Of the West End of week day are
utterly gone out of them. The throngs Won meet
to-day belong TO a different world The East End
has migrated 10 the West. If you care TO stndy as
the fashion to-day the social problem Won can do
1t with facility. The social problem tired of wait
ing TO be Investigated in its own slums has come TO
meet you. If fSr Charles Dixie were in London we
might read in to-morrOws papers that instead of
visiting ST. Luke's, lie had patroled Oxford. ST.
Thus far the people have mentioned belonged TO
the district but as the public-honse is
passed | meet the head of long procession which
has already made the long journey from Shoreditch
and Lime-hOuse 10 Tyburnia.
The Frenchman in search Of types may find more
than he will care 10 enumerate. | have seen them
all often enough, and half believe recognize
three or four times year not only the type but the
individual. meet him to-day at the first step into
the highway known as the Bayswater Road He
has An unwholesOme. pallid face. scanned and
patched with unwholesomc red pmpled. foul with
dirt through which the dirty white shows he 10