Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1893-08-31

spec,ai correspondenceot Gazette and journal
LONDON, Aug. 14.--My first visit TO
Epping Forest, probably the greatest
holiday resort in the world, was made
in costermonger's cart in which held
proprietary interest. had been for
some weeks plying the subtle arts of the
coster with my good coster friends,
Slumpsy Jem and his wife Becky, and,
/ am proud to say, with excellent tinan-
cial success. We had fought our way
from coster poverty and ignominy to
coster affiuence and aristocracy by a |
commercially wise distribution OF yege- |
tables, fish, flesh and fowl, and were |
now in a way to enjoy the fruits OF
sobriety, diligence and thrift in we'll
earned day of recreation and rest, with
out the grim outlook beyond of remorse
trampling with its steely strides on the
heels of ill-considered joy.
Nothing could have been completer
or more tidy than our preparations for
the pleasant event, at our habitation in
Bell Lane. Jem washed, oiled and
polished our cart, rubbed the rusty
coronets of our secondhand harness,
and groomed our spirited donkey,
'Bolivar," until, as Jem justly re-
marked, "T'll make their heyes ache to
hobserve this ere turnout, bli me, so it
will. A bloomin' wiccunt couldn't
match this go, no fear" Becky had
her hands and heart full in arranging
her own "get up" whose observable
component parts comprised highheeled
shoes, a secondhand velvet gown which
originally never graced less than the
form of countess or singer in "the
'alls," and q massed forest of huge,
waving ostrich plumes above her richly
oiled and clouted bangs of side and
front hair; while my own immediate as
signment of duty was to fill the ham
pers against that delicious hunger
which comes to all city folk from day
of pleasure in the woods and fields.
| had what Jem called "a bloomin
carly blanchy," and l used it. Two Of
our largest coster baskets were oui
hampers. In these / had slowed a mea
which Becky insisted was fit for Hel
Majesty, Queen Victoriey, at Hascott.
There were juicy slices of cold roas
beef and joint of mutton had founC
at snug public house in the Strand
quarts Of shrimps as sweet and pink a
a new baby's finger tips; dozens o
sandwiches hiding lovely slices o
tongue; tender mackerel had mysel
grilled to crisp as brown as frost
touched maple leaf; Roquefort cheese
SWITCH" as Jem truly said, "made Ched
dar turn green with envy" shadows Q
Kentish strawberries, each as large as
walnut and sweet as nectar; real pow
dered sugar, pot of clotted cream a
yellow as gold and three beautiful ii
spoons and saucers for their servic
There were other toothsome tid-bi
which would have done honor to I'll
real quality; along with cold tea /
the jug full, and a few dark-lookin
chunky bottles of ale, tribute to Jenl
affection for Becky and cunning pr
vision for himself; for on this point
had approached me with contidenc
genuine feeling and wise insight in
the social requirements of Londo
East End coster girl.
'.W'at's the use" he said with almo
a tinge of bitterness, in his sturdy Pile
WAITS the use leavin' out the we
A real London lady's no more good al
houtin', 'thout victim er up bit, th
COW 'thout runnin' water. Wy, m
them yer rich, dry whites d cracl
Becky's constitushun inter kindl,
afore night, 'thout a sup O. wet.
'Ampstead er Hopping, give DOM
wat she's used ter, an plenty hcf
m no fear, she'll make folks arp
were she bidesr
Jem was a sight in his new "clobbe
cleaning rows Of buttons and sunni
''kingsman." Becky was no less si
in her grand gown and feathers. b
var was even a more interesting sight
his sleek coat and wonderful decorate
a portion of which comprised feath
waving from his trembling ears, Sc
~ false whiskers depending from isshal
chin, with bright ribbons crossed
recrossed about his nimble legs;
Sprat, tiny coster lad without recor
ancestry who often accompanied us
our daily hawking adventures and 81
in our cart at night, who was this da
be our ''coachy and vally" combir
clad in Jem's everyday jacket, we
coat and "kingsman" was sight
atom-like habilitated matter one selt
in whole lifetime beholds.
Indeed we were altogether sue
sight that, as we finally sailed forth
denizens of Bell Lane, Shoreditch, '
so pleased with our appearance an
enthusiastic over our various grac
returns Of their hearty encomil
which included occasional shower
half-pennies among the Bell |
ragamuffin youths, that this admire
for our spirit in SO gaily upholding
gallantry of the thoroughfare wa
length expressed in enthusiastic CHI
These encouraged Sprat to la
Bolivar far beyond his wont or des
The donkey thereupon took most 0
whiskers and all of his bit tirml,
tween his teeth. Then, after Ii
Sprat out of his temporary box
his nimble heels, he straightway |
into fierce canter, never checking
furious pace until he ran head-fore
into the old Stoke-Newington Oh
wall. After alighting here over
others heads, we took time to rea
Bolivar of the peaceful nature o
expedition, read our ambitious C
man highly-spiced coster war
made some slight necessary re
gathered together our distri
hampers and their contents, and
proceeded with greater calmness
circumspection, but none the less
rily, on our pleasant holiday way.
As we logged along at an easy c
the fine May morning, there was
interesting TO see and know throuG
medium OF my coster friends sour
information. While they quaint
me of this and that, to them, fa
object along or upon the highl
gave them, in return, a bit of the
history. Some of these thing
readers may care to know as "
Jem and Becky and Sprat. In a
times it was known as Waltham
and in those days comprised