The Advocate and news., 1899-01-04

L0B cOuuLlSbS LuOubduub VI IOOL pdSbSu
gers hurrying, skurrying, this way and
that with scant courtesy, each being In
tent only on reaching his destination
The streets are poorly lighted and In the
murkiness the terrific din Of the cease
less vehicle traffic is almost alarming
though we are more or less accustomed
to 1t. We feel hopeless Of obtaining any
conveyance, the numerous omnibuses,
or London gondolas," as they have been
aptly dubbed being crowded both inside
and out, whilst the call Of "cab! cab!"
vainly echoes around one. AS we only
propose going as far as the Bank" a
few hundred yards distant, we trudge
on a-foot, now being crowded against the
houses lining the way, and getting de-
luge Of water down our neck, and now
jOstled into the flowing cutters where
our shoes are filed with muddy water
and we are in imminent danger of being
run over. At last, as breathless and
as exhausted as If we had been swim
ming up stream, for the crowd was flow
ing In opposite direction to our own,
we reach the broad pavement Of the
Royal Exchange, we mount the steps and
face the Bank Of banks, which may be
called the heart OF London, the heart of
commerce! We take breath and look
around almost the first thing that
strikes our attention Is the bObbing up
and down and sidewise, charging this
way and that Of the army Of umbrellas.
OF truth, 1t may be called the Battle
Of Umbrellas"
Jupiter PluVius! how the rain falls!
recalling to mind some words of the
Chinese account Of the flood when "the
sky fell to the EARTH" yet nOtwith-
standing the down-pour, countless street
vendors are crying their wares and striv-
ing to do little business. For upon
their sales depend their Christmas dinner
at the most scrap Of beef and a
morsel Of plain pudding. But alas! folk
are too hurried to stop and purchase,
too wet and miserable to care for aught
save the getting home Across the street
we note the long string Of coster-mongers
with their barrows hawking oranges,
dates, grapes, nuts, and the like, at low
prices--with most probably hidden
weight under the scoop Of the scales to
make up! Scattered about on the curb
stone are the news vendors, old men and
young women, young men and old Wo-
men, and numberless boys and girls,
some with torn and spIOtched contents
bills" fluttering in their hands, all with
the same eager, haggard faces, ever and
anon lodging in and out among the
foot passengers, crying out in shrill,
childish, treble, or hOarse, damaged
voice, Echo sir" STANDARD, sir"
Evening News, sir" Special edition,
SIR" Horrible Murder!" Terrible
Railway Collision!" "Colliery Explo-
sion," ct al varied by oaths and curses
as they quarrel among themselves over
likely customer perchance only to
lose him whilst they sQuabble.
Here and there one spies out a be-
draggled girl rlstanding in doorway with !
a basket Of bouquets, hot-house violets,
camelias, and Christmas roses, in which |
she, in the morning, speculated her all. |
See her listlessly leaning in the half |
doorway with her thin shawl thrown
over her basket to protect her flowers
now fast loosing their pristine beauty, |
hoping against hope that the rain will |
let up and that she may have q chance |
to dispose, even at some sacrifice, Of her |
stock In trade rather than be tempted to
sell her virtue before the morning dawns.
Under the lamp post on the corner
stands a little fair-haired fellow try
ing to sell boxes of matches one Of |
thousands similarly engaged. Surely |
this walf is new at the business for the
other urchins, "city arabs" every one Of
them, are yelling at him, jostling him,
and now one cruel blow has dashed his
boxes out of his hand into the mud,
causing the salt and bitter tears to
flow freely. Anon, tired of their rough |
and malicious sport, or catching sight
of the advancing "pleeceman," the tor
mentors scamper OFF whilst the boy
vainly tries to dry his wares on the
inside of his threadbare jacket. AS he
takes his post again, one notices the
timld air with which he stretches forth
his hand and cries, Matches, only
49, IL