The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1894-12-08
Pleasant Features
OF London Life
There Is Always Something Novel
to Interest One There.
DIvERTING STREET EPISODES
Enjoyable Experiences Arc in Store for
the Obscryant American Woman Who
Knows How to Perceive and to Ap.
preciate London Oddities.


preciate London Oddities.
Special Correspondence of The Tribune
London, Nov. 20.-I have had my first
glimpse of London fog, but as it was
only yellow one, 1t was nothing over
which to go into superlatives, at all. 1t
came last week one night, and when l
awoke in the morning l could not see
through the air outdoors, as it was all
yellNw and thick, like smoke. In the
houl things were not so bad however,
as very much of it did not penetrate to
us, and We only felt slightly uncomfort-
able on account of the smoke getting
1nto our eyes, making them smart, and
making our throats tickle and cough
from its effects. said to the girls at
breakfast that 1 did not think it so
very dreadful; that 1 had thought from
the exaggerated accounts had read of
DIT, that it was something to dread eX-
ceedigly; but they all cried me down
with loud voice, and told me to wait
until had seen O bona flde London fog
"a black one, through which [ could
neither see nor feel my Way,and which,
they aver, fully justlfes the eXaggera-
ted accounts (as | always had thought,
which Charles Dickens gives Of them,
So meekly submitted. But l shall not
call my experiences of this dear, big,
busy place complete until l have one Of
tire black fogs to add to my constantly
growing store. If 1 were in Rome, I'm
sure / should goto see the Coliseum; or
If in Paris L should certainly do the
Grand Opera House; and as I am in
London, l most surely want to go
through a London fog. 1 expect 1t.
shall feel defrauded Of my just rights
II do not. So, there!
Londons Big Stores.
am in love with this place. When
/ first came up here from Wales,
thought London was an unmitigated
nightmare. Now l think it is fairy
land. The shops are all so alluring and
lovely, especially ON the inside; for, to
tell the truth, the average shopkeeper
over here does not trim up his window
nearly as elaborately as our American
one does, for the delectation of the
passers-by. I'm rather afraid that our
professional window decorators would
have to starve for lack of occupation
here. The way they do is to decorate
by hanging things up in the windows,
which just give tantalizing hint of
what may be seen inside, if you only will
step in and look, and that little hint is
a mighty powerful one, sometimes.
This applies to the average Diapers
shop. Things are in the window, to be
sure, often ticketed with most alluring
prices, but there is nothing at all Won
derful in their grouping. You cannot
be transfiXed in London as you can in
New York by window whose artistic
arrangement catches your eye at once.
There are half a dozen large diapers,
like Peter Robinson, Henry Glare, Har-
vey Nichols, or jays, who put into
their windows, dresses, furs, laces, mag
nificent enough, of themselves, to root
one Ito the spot, where one remains,
lost to the rest of world, until
the girls. summarily command one
to move on The windows of the
stationers and silversmiths are gor-
geous, too, and also the milllners'
cases.
But it lis inside of the store, in every
case, where the real and best goodies
are, like the plums in the pudding, and
you must go in if you wish to see them
Some of their shops are very large
quite as large as our big New York
concerns, and l dare say that White
ley's, here, is the largest establishment
in the world 1t is tTite saying that
you can get anything from handker-
chief to white elephant there, as he
sells every thing under the sun that is
bought and sold, they tell me, except
slaves, maybe. You can buy Il house,
or a. carriage and pair, or piece Of
ground or a dog or pet bird, or a gun, or
a dress, or-oh, anything. OF course,
he does not really keep his houses and
lots and such articles in stock, so to
speak, but he is an agent anyway, and
can provide one with all the necessi-
ties and all the luXuries of life. There
is a story current to the effect that he
once sold a newly-rich man house and
lot, and furnished every nook and cor
ner of the estate completely. However,
when Mr.. Whiteley brought his debtor
to inspect his premises the man, after
expressing his satisfaction, remarked,
ruefully, yes, it's all very fine, but 1t
is not really home for ! have no wife,
YOU see" Whereupon Mr.. Whiteley
expressed his ability and willingness
to furnish the said article with neat
ness and dispatch The man gave him
leave to try, agreeing to take her glad
ly If she suited, which, upon acquaint-
ance, she proved ITO do, and they lived
happily ever afterward. / don't know
how much she cost, though. They
never tell that in the story. Whiteley
calls himself the universal provider,
and really one always thinks of that
title as one wanders among his shops
I'D In Westbourne Grove. / was there
md spent whole day. not long ago
seeing everything pretty under the sun,
land so cheap" How l did enjoy that
hay! And how tired l was when We
rame home that night!
Interesting Street Sights.
The street sights Of London are in
tensely interesting to me. The other
girls here do not care for them at all
but then they have been here for years
and I suppose know all the different
types by heart. But they all interest
me. There is the old flower woman
selling roses, English yiolets and chrys-
anthemums by the curb, and the more
ambitious young man flower vender
who has whole stand of rosebud and
violet bouttonieres, besides his large as
sortment of table bouquets, potted
plants, etc, which he has brought from
suburban greenhouse, to sell to the
passers-by on the sidewalk. Near him
stands, perhaps, an old woman with
her cage of fortune-telling birds, little
green things, which pick out your fu'
ture for you, from a lot of printed slips
Then there is the toy man, displaying
little mechanical toys, some of which
are storls, dogs, cats chickens, which
walk about in a clear space on the
corner of the sidewalk, by reason of the
propelling force within. Then you come
L. ,..