Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-12
OLD LONDON PICTURED.
COMPARED WITH TIE CITY OF
TODAY TWAS A SORRY SIGHT


bearabIe- FamIae and Pestiiesee.
Who can rebuild before the eye Of the
mind "a single ordinary dwelling OF the
vanished London OF the middle OF the
Thirteenth century, Il was a dwartish,
saualid structure OF such crazy unsub-
stantiality that with a stout iron crook
and two strong cords. provided by the
ward. il nigh be pulled down and
dragged of speedily in case OF fire,
structure OF one story jutting over n
low ground floor with another jut OF
caves above. its roof perchance engrailed
with gables, its front bearing an odd re-
semblance 20 the back OF a couple OF
huge stairs. and the whole most rick
ETY.. tumbledown. top heavy. fantastical
thing Chimneys were fairly in vogue
then. so IL had them squat square.
wide mouthed. faced with white plaster
red tiles or gray pebble work
Red tiles covered its roof It's walls
were rough planned planks or a wooden
framework filled with composite of
straw and clay buttressed with posts
and crossed this way and that with sup
porting beams, the whole daubed over
with whitewash of which the weather
soon made graywash In front was
stairway sometimes covered sometimes
motor astepladder set slantwise against
the wall for an entrance To the upper
story
| The doorways were narrow and low
the windows also and the latter dark.
ened with overbrows of wooden shut
ters. propped up from beneath and
sticking out like long slender awnings,
we're further darkened by sashes OF
parchment linen or thin shaved horn,
/ for glass came from Flanders. and was
costly and rare.
ROMANTIC BUILDING.
Such, joint and seam and tile being
| loosened into crack and Granny and crev-
ice everywhere was the dwelling Of the
London citizen as the eye might see II in
the middle OF the Thirteenth century
Multiply that dwelling into tortuous
and broken perspectiveof Ike buildings,
some joined by party walls. some with
spaces between, all pent rooted or gable
peaked. heavy eaved stub chimneyed
narrow latticed, awning shattered, stair
EAhtu, DDSk putlHNcotd bffAih NAS17Na
dusky red rooted dingy white walled
and low under the oyerhanging vastness
OF the sky and yon have an ancient Lon
don street. which shall be foul and mar
row with open drains footways roughly
tagged and horseway deep with slushy
mire overstrewn with ashes shards and
otfal and smelling abominably
There were indeed AT that period
thinly interspersed here and there,
houses OF somewhat better description
solidly built OF stone aud timber, though
at best strangely deficient in comfort
and convenience. according to the fash
ion OF that most announcement and un
comfortable age Here and there, too
for those We're the times of the fonda
soldier and priest, rose in dreadful beau
teous contrast with the squalid CIT,
the architectural grandeur OF churci
I and cathedral. or the stately house o
g palace OF bishop or earl But all arouni
stretched dwellings which our poores
modern house excels aud on thos
dwellings all evils and disconforts tina
Z can befali had their quarry
Light came dim and sunshine diml
: glimmering into their darkened room,
: Summer heats made ovens Of them Tn
: old gray family OF London fogs ros
; from the marshes north Of the city walls
from the city's intersecting riyulet'
:, from the Frames below. and crept IN q
i every opening to make all dark and chi
4 within Down their squat chiinne,
a swept the smoke. choking and blindinl
TO Rains such as even rainy England know
not now soaked them through for weel
together
TERRIBLE PICTURE
Cold such as English winters have 10
gotten now pierced with gripping hla
and silent sitting snow to their shlve
ing inmates Foul exhalations from q
J filthy streets hung around them an a
Of poison, or rising from the cesspoo
Of which every house had one With
discharged themselves in deadly NAL
,. dies Lightnings stabbed their roofs
i rent their walls. hunting for those tn
:: sheltered Conhagration lurking in
spark. upapread IN dragoonish flame al
roared through them devonring
u Whirlwind swept through them how
ln ing, and tossed them down by fifth
n Pestilence breafhed through them IN
ne curing seasons. and left their ROOF
C aghast with corpses Civic right or
at tsstine war stogmed often near them a
ly brought them death and sorrow Fla
- inc arose every few years and walk
or through them on his way TO Englal
80 leaving their tenants lean and pale
r iifeless Often into them broke
- midnight robber singly OF IN gan
often 10 them came the gatherer
We taxes OF OF tiIhes upon them hung ?
ny petually all the bloodsnckers ey,
~ vampire which an age Of ignorance u
ed tyranny could spawn and IN tn
re, nerded fendlsh oigntriea crazy sup
III slitions british illiieracy am all q
nd darkens and deprayes the soul
lie For that was the mournfui midnis
as OF our mortal life centuries ago /
ne old. sad stars thai governed our c
q, ditions still sept their forceful stat
= above the brawi OF brutal and inter
dreams and one alone, now r1aen tr
VI Gebers east hung dewy bright with
world nope and promise while sciei
builder OF life that Is molly beauti
and gay was but wondrous new b
"a, child In Roger bacon cell. dreaming
All things TO come. Atlantic Monthly
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