Birmingham state herald. (Birmingham, Ala.) 1895-1897, 1896-05-17
LIFE IN LONDON.

i
Chappell Cory Before the Cadmean Circle.
There are two Londons, the one differ
ing from the other as the moon differs
| from the sun. There is the everyday
London and the holiday London-the
London for Londoners and the London
for foreigners. Everyday London begins
with November and ends with March.
Holiday London begins with April and
holidays is nowhere else to be found,
while the sacred fidelity with which they
are observed speaks the noble patriotism
of the English heart. At this time,
though must dwell on the everyday
life in the great metropolis, on prosy, do
nestle economy.
l began 1t In November in furnished
apartments consisting of breakfast, par
lor and bedrooms. This breakfast parlor
is just like our own sitting room, and
furnished much in the same way, with
the addition of the big round center ta-
Bile and the endless bric-a-brac. Every
inch of space on the broad mantle Is gay
with chinaware, vases of every form and
hue, china dogs, cats, men, maidens,
rats, old china and new china, pink china
and blue china, while the long, gold
framed mirror reflects many more; and
the .swhatnot" of our grandmothers in.
one corner totters with every imaginable
curio
stood appalled, How long, thought I,
will 1t take my small boy to make way
with the whole array, OF If perchance any
should survive the caress of baby fin
gers how long will it take the girl to dust
these things?
The bedchamber opens into the sitting
room. In 1t is the inevitable iron bed
stead, with it's shining brass knobs and
rods, sans the curtains q small table
upon which sits the old-fashioned pivot
al rrya n obi 90 n nm
each side and china pin tray In the CEN
ter; the washstand, of course. and last,
but not least, the sombre chest of draw
ers Always the simplest things possible
in the bedchamber, and the stiffest pos
sible, too, for that r2om in England is
sleeping room. There wasn't a rocking
chair to be seen. searched nearly the
whole city of London for one. They
laughed in my very face. At last, in
little basket shop on a side street, found
second hand wicker rocker, left there
her memory! sta
The landlord has your rooms "tidied
up" as they call it, and your meals pre-
pared and served to you in the sitting
room. This constitutes apartments with
attendance" a most expensive and I'M
satisfactory way of living, for you pay the
landlord for what you order; also per
cent for the cooking, and If you should
have the whole of "Mary's lamb" for
dinner I'm sure you'd never hear of that
lamb again. quite startled Mr.. G. one
day when I announced chicken and ice
cream for dinner. Chicken, he explained,
was small fortune and ice cream big
one Am thankful to state that the Ice.
cream could not be found, and the chick
en- though large one, was very cheap
for that time of year-only $1.50. 1t oc-
Cured to me there wouldn't be much
1<Rk dor,
ued in FURNISHED apartments = fl, at
tendance We therefore took the nat
above Mr.. C.'s offices, the kitchen being
at the very top of the house, most ad-a
mirable plan
Housekeeping to an American Is at first
never get accustomed to the late break
fasts. BY no means must you breakfast
until 8 o'clock, and some wait until 10.
No shop opens before 10; all close at 5
in winter and In summer, while at z
O'Clock on Saturday every shop of any
Importance closes the year round Eng
FISH breakfasts are not at all calculated
to give one the govt. For one 1t consists
of thin rasher of bacon, with one fried
egg, the usual accomplishments of cold
as you like. Occasionally you have griiled
| fish, mutton chops, soft-boiled eggs and
stewed kidneys, but never all at once On
any account Toast is permissible, espe-
cially on Sundays, but It's cold, too. It's
q kind Of sleight-of-hand performance
they pride themselves on, this making
bread look like It's been to the fire and
| feel like 1t hasn't. It's due them to say,
| though, they beat the world on mutton
chops. They are thick, juicy, delicate
and delicious. The only trouble is. they
wish you to eat 1t under done" (you must
never say rare).
At IL O'Clock you are supposed TO take
a cup of "bovril," or something as light,
txL~r x.rfx NIB