The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1889-06-23
LONDON BOILED DOWN.
CllMPSE3 or GASLlGHT LIFE ON
DRURY LANE.
The Broad. Miry Yet Giided Road Trav-
eied Ivy the Owls Of Civiii,ation-Ee-
tween vice and Drudgery the Women
Choose the Former-Their Way of Living.

NEW YORK. June 20 -Drury Lane,
London. Time, II at night. Every
thing in full blast Always is at that
hour. Royal guard about Drury Lane
theatre. Red coats Always during
performance Old custom. OF no
earthly use. Started generations ago
Got to going Goes by its own momen-
tum. Like customs obsolete every
where. Theatre building ugly. Very
ugly. Would suffer by side Of New
York grain elevator Architectural ug
illness the style there one hundred years
ago. Pearl oyster shell plan and inspi-
ration. IIomely outside Gorgeous in
side. England getting over this now
Drury Lane. Home Of happy wretched-
ness. Contented sinfulness. Ecstatic
squalor Blissful poverty Serene deg
radiation. Grinning vice Especially at
II at night. Light as day. Almost
Two-thirds OF midnight occupants Of
street women. BEST Of Gods gift TO
man" Worst if rot rightly appropri-
ated. Fallen angels the worst devils.
Extremes meet Laws Of nature. Moth
ing frcsher than fresh egg. Nothing
worse than spoiled ditto Drury Lane
women. Limp Seedy Ragged. I'm
clean. Sallow Emaciated, or bl0ated.
Harpies lowering about gin shops. Gin
shops snowy. Brassy. Glary. Full Of
polished barrels Occupation Of these wo
men. To get treated. To entreat treats
To treat each other To find life in gin.
To renew life in gin. To borrow heetng
phantasy Of former youth in gin To
live. For gin. To die. For gin.
Social women these TO passer by. Not
reserved. Introduce themselves. Not by
name. BY mention Of pressing want
Pressing want, gin.
Remark to me by one "You said
you'd give me penny last night and I'll
take it now Half glance brings her
to colloquial terms Woman bareheaded.
Bonnet gone. For gin. Face color OF
putty.
Next destination Of gown-Paper mill.
Three others pass by. Same type. Arm
i'm arm Singing. At top Of voices
More noise than melody. Workings Of
gin. Not dangerous women. Simply
drunk. Plain, common feminine drunk.
May be seen any nigh. in London Re
puted ccnterol civilization Refinement
Source Of missionary cndoayor to reform
heathcn. Seems in places rotten at home
while trying to make sound abroad.
On corner n Murphy buster" Vulgar
English for potato rooster. Modelled af-
ter locomotive. With wheels In min
iature. Potato roasted hapenny each.
Salt 80 season thrown in. Good mid
night relish. Red glow from the buster
furnace Appetizing fragrance of roast
cd potato on midnight air Two women
sitting on curb by it, Warming them
selves by heat Of furnace No otherii
Time, December. Doubtful if they have
room.
Boiled Wrinkle stand on next corner.
Little plates. Penny a plate Tough
Eel stew kitchen opposite Penny .
bowl Crowded. With midnight small
wage earners. Crossing sweopers. Car
riage door openers. Pure bcggars Soil
ed buzzards. Bouquet sellers. Street
musicians. The midnight clover or
ders." Not much seen by day. City
owls.
Grimy. Atmospheric sensation Of
Crime everywhere. Air thick with
civilized savagery. Savagery? Worse.
Fungi Of an artificial life Human mold
of artificial conditions. Accumulated
rottonness Of generations. Born in Lon
don Bred in London. No more able
to live out Of London than swamp moss
in a dry field. Evolution of unnatural
conditions Human toadstools. Same
color Short lived
Yet blooming children here. Live
in cellars. Checks red. pictures Of
health" at five. Lean in body and Wis
age gnarlcd and bony at thirty-hve.
Soon ripe, soon rotten. Willows, not
oaks Willow venerable at sixty; ready
to fall Oak then in its early prime.
Same correspondence i'm human grOwths.
Side street opening into Drury park.
Dim. Let's go down it, Open door
Private residence OF native. Femi-
nine Single Look in. Thin bed.
One chair one table. One teacup
Plate Fragments of penny repast
Print over mantelpiecc. Highly col
o7ed Return of Prodigal Son." In
residence Of prodigal daughter Maxi,
mum of income. One shilling per day.
In luck if she gets that Feels rich when
She does.
Abode Of one of her majesty's subjects.
Not old. Not yet ugly Will be soon.
Traces Of gin on her face and form.
Probable age thirty-iive. Stands in
doorway Contemplating stars? No.
Worse. Waiting for flats. For victims.
For the young man void OF understand
ing. For the old man ditto For here
they come.
Policeman comes along. Carriage
still Gait slow. Bearing official. Adj
dresses woman: "See here, if | catch YOU
at your door again I'll run you in" Fur
Their down the street Loobl Dingy
doorways Dingier and dingier Faint
light More women. Like this one. All
standing in doorways Same sort Of
rooms Rapid Sinking back as police
man goes down Doors closed Appear
ances preserved. Law. order decency
and virtue prevail So long as police
mans in sight Opened when he disap
pears. All waiting and hoping for the
mantle coming mantle young man
void OF understanding tho old man
ditto Waiting Why: He may bring
pence For what? To buy gin. Why
gin? Gin means bliss. Heaven Para
disc for four pence True, for an hour
only But what matter? Hour Of bliss
in prospective outwcighs hundredfold
ten of misery aiierward
Let's emerge Into Drury Lane again.
More Murphy busters" Eel pie shops.
Fish kitchers full Girls scudding TO and
fro with beer pitchers Preparations for
thousands Of midnight suppers Hum
Buzz Glare Swearing Singing. More
women gossiping 10y gin palace windows
Full within. THE Lord Wellington
Full the Retail Entrance Full the
"Ratfia and la. nona rtt,att I.Il ia.