The San Francisco call., 1904-12-11

business, but since her marriage Sne
has been able TO live an easier and
more comfortable life. She is now a
widow Her husband had been a
coster from his boyhood and il was
mostly through his energy and indus
try that the present business was
built up. Since left TO her own re-
sources she has shown a grasp of the
working of the concern that aston
ishes people with wider experiences.
She is acquainted with every part
and every little detail in the con-
struction Of barrows and trucks and
neither smiths nor carpenters could
deceive her with regard to the quality
of their work.
HER CHARITABLE ACTS.
She is an extremely charitable
woman to her class and it is this fea-
ture in her character that has ele-
waited her to the dignifed and distin
guished position she enjoys among
the costers of London. If trade is
bad or a coster has fallen on evil
times through some unforeseen cir
cumstance she will lend him money
to purchase the necessary little stock
of fruit, vegetables or some other
salable article that may enable him
to get on his feet again. When a
death occurs in the coster communi-
ty she can always be depended on to
advance the money for the burial un-
til there is time to get up the usual
friendly dead" by which every cos
ter pays a little to defray the ex-
penses of the funeral.
Mrs. Russell never misses one Of
these sad professions and it is only
on such occasions that she puts on
anything approaching style. Her well
equipped brougham is always in the
first flight of coster vehicles and al
though it bears no external marks Of
royal distinction it is always pointed
out as the queens carriage" At
coster weddings. too, she is much in
evidence, and the happy pair can al
ways rely on receiving a substantial
and useful wedding present from her.
At such ceremonies she is distin-
guished by the quietness of her Dress
which is in striking contrast to the
cheap and 1ambuoyant finery affected
by coster women on these occasions.
BARROwS OF ALL COLORS.
1t is only in the colors of her barrows
that she shows any ambition to shine
in the coster world. These are painted
in all the shades of the rainbow, Just to
suit the coster taste. Her name and
address are inscribed on every barrow
and truck, but there is no sign of the
royal arms anywhere. Although she
lives in the midst of a thickIy popu-
lated district, her immediate neighbors
appear to be only a schoolhouse and a
dingy looking little church. There is no
record that society ever penetrated
within her dominions except when the
Marquis of Headfort married Rosie
Boote, a gayety dancer, at the little
church referred to. Mrs Russell does
not forget to tell you that she was
present at that wedding-not as an in
vited guest, but as a spectator.
At the annual athletic sports of the
Costers' Association she occupies the
post of honor on the grand stand and
contributes literally to the prizes. espe-
cially those for the donkey and barrow
races.
BRIDGE STILL THE RAGE
It is not expected that the denuncia-
tion of the craze for bridge in social
ed high society viii have any apprecia-
bic effect in abating indulgence in this
popular form of gambling. There is
one man who could accomplish more
in the way OF checking it than all the
clergymen in the Church OF England
were he so minded. If the King were
TO give up playing bridge and exclude
it from the games provided for his en-
tertainment at the great houses which
he visits the force of his example and
influence combined would exercise
tremendous effect. But he shows no