Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1892-10-24
WAKEMAN'S WANDERINGS
covENT GARDEN AND ITS 10y
Gus NEloHeoRHoop."

Resorts of Today-Rieh nnd Mellow
Memories Chnrmingiy Rocaiied-Th'
Market In Early Morning uours-1n.
tcrosting Types and Scenes.
tcopyrlsh,. isg,, BY Edgar l.. wakcman.l
LONDON, Sept. 5.-Of NIL the good old
London tavcrns Of bygone days those look
Ing In upon Covent Garden, or immediate
ly round about It, best retain that flavor
which has given English flotionnl litcra
ture for the past 900 years one Of Its most
winsomo aud lasting charms
used to'hnunt tho apartment houses
OF London, up bloomsbury way, and
skifnish with their sad eyed, funeral
voiced, widowed, nimblc fingered keepers
in dlsmay and desperation, or waste my
energies upon the nustcritlc8 OF the great
hotels along the Strand. But ono day Of
grace succor came, md good old SAINT
Mathews, tho London actor, said; "My
dcar boy, don't DO n cad nny longer and
waste your gold among the hotel Bcdoulna
Of London. 1.-Two like n gentleman Of tho
old school on half the money. and take
your ease nj your inn In the very heart OF
that precinct where all our literature
worth rcading waS made. Go TO any Of
the quiet old inns about Covont Garden
and DO alwaya Mt rest, oven In rcstles8 Lon
dom
have never been 10 grateful for ndvico
IN all my life. Here arc half score OF
inns, genuine old tayerns, most OF thom
built long before the century camo In. md
every ono Of modern make constructed and
conducted or the old fashioned plan. They
arc taverns at which the flrcplaces aru
huge, caycrnous, CHEEKY and gct-at-able--
the bedrooms warm and coy; the halls low
ccilingcd, but broad aud full Of real oldcn
settles and sofas; tho smoking rooms snug
and warm and with plenty OF papcrs and
books; tho pictures yellow and old aud
dlnr and hung In great broad. odd frames,
which show they were there long before
you were born; the dining rooms ample
and quiet and "richly browncl;" the ports,
clarcts and sherries with the eohwcbs OF
tho twenties and thirtles upon them; the
food wholesome, fno aud good; the porttrs
friendly and "talky" when you wish TO
get down from your own pedestal for lit
tic humanizing pattcr;' and even the
misses In the oiilce aud bar and rosy faced
ohamberinaids arc not ayorse on occasion
70 bit OF Innocent banter. which after all
anybody but q prude, a hermit or hypo-
tTlbe W UNIV truly cIlolH.
And so from coming and going often
these old Covont Garden inns have become
n sort Of home TO me. Their associations,
rich and mellow aa the very wines they
serve. have taken their place one by one Ia
my heart. while tho market into which
tho windows Of nearly all OF them look,
like Silas Wcgg's Our House" In Mutual
Friend, " has become my market. Scores Of
f..1lr l..sl 81. n.
must know that most Of them hnvo easy,
all night why's with them, and you require
no introduction whatever 10 get upon cat.
Ing and drinking terms and into vows Of
lifelong intimacy with yokel. coster. porter.
and | was almost about to say the Prince
Of Wales himself.
That really human and clever man OF the
world often comes TO "Rule's, but q stones
throw from the market, where he makes u
night OF II peaceably and like q gentleman
with the Wits Of the town, ending his little
forgiyahlc diversion by a rousing iostling
among the carly poEtern, costcra aud gn,cn-
grocers, and taking the badinago given all
who como with royal philosophy and
CHEEKY good will. This large human lev
cling influence has always been peculiar 70
tho Covent Garden district. IL Is still hero
" "ho VI bhu oehe iNbnrtts VI Nho iuclluW
olden time
What a host OF rich associations crowd
within this little Covont Garden district
Thnckoray caNed IL tho "ioyous neighbor.
hood OF Covent Garden" though Il was
scarcely known Mt the beginning Of tho
Seventeenth century. Prom the middle Of
the Seventeenth TO the middle Of the Nine.
tecnth century II wns the best known
NaNAsgpnN0 Of a.tNh
good fellows generally and substantial
country squlres and gentlemen Visiting the
town In London. In Russell Street, now
chiefly given over to grcongroccrs and
frgiterera, was the then social exchange OF
the Englisl, capital, the mart Of It's newa,
politics, scandal and wit.
In this ono short thoroughfare stood tho
most noted coffee houses Of the rcigns Of
William III aud Queen Anne, familiar &c
all conversant with the best English liter,
Rture. wins" "Button'sp and "Tomis'
were sacred TO polite lcttcrs.n All tn,
English Sir Rogers do Coyerlcy also mad,
these places their London address. Pepyi
and Evelyn, tho historians, visited ant
lodged here.
"Will's." which stood nt the west side o
Bow Street and tho north side Of Russell
street, was tho most ancient ard noted %
these resorts. Dryden's patronage ant
frequent appearance there made tho repu
tation Of the house. After the play III,
cream Of those who knew London and WHOM
London knew gathered hero for coffee
Apipc and their nightly gossip.
Addison and Steele were tho most bril-
liant Of tho company 10 which tho hospi
table doors Of "Buttons" opened. "nut
toms" was on tho north side OF Russell
Street. Addison's wife, tho countess wa,
lady Of vinegary tastes and temper, an,
he gladly withdrew much from her com
pany for solace where tho wit smello,
morn OF wine. "Button's" Ia gone but tn
picture will always remain M Steel
painted IT, Dear Addisonl drunk, delhi
crate, moral, sentimental, foOming owe
with truth md virtue, with tenderness m,
friendship, and only worsc In one ruiilc 10
the wine" Coy and Prior and Pope wer
pthor famous frequcnters VI this resort
TOMS" stood at the corner Of III
PiazEa. IT was on tho north side, owe
against "Bntton's.n II was started IN lIG
by subscription. It's most famous IN
luenters were Garrick Goldsmith, 81
Joshua Rgynolds, Moody, Boote, 81
Philip Francis and DIR. johnson. Nea
"iom's,n Mt 8Ruasoll Street, was the bool
shop Of Tom Davies, in whose tiny bac
parlor Boswell first met Dr. johnson.
Then followed tho era OF famous Covcn
Garden tsverns, There was "Ilummuma,
TWO doors troui" Button'p," most comfort
tbie OF old london hostelrlos, sacred TO III
memory OF College don" aud countr
person. IL Yves from tho Bedford Arms
hogarth and his friends oct forth on thu
famous holiday launt 10 Graveyard Roel