New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1912-12-22
LONDON At CHRISTMAS
GLADDEST, SADDEST CITY
Contrast Between Rich and
Poor Nowhere More Striking
than in British Capital.
COUNTRY IS PROSPECTING
Hotels and Theatres Filled and
Trade Never More Active
Employers Raising
Salaries Unasked.
fBy Cable to The Tribune. 7

tBy Cable to The Tribune
London Dec. 21.-This is at once the
time OF the year when London is seen
in its saddest and its gladdest aspects.
Brilliant with gay and gaudy illumina-
tions, with the plumage of the great
| danes of high society. with the pam
pered little tots who will one day figure
as the leaders in London bathrooms and
at the court levees, are the huge shops
in the vicinity of Regent street and
Circus.
Like the steps leading TO their own
Mayfair mansions, heavy velvet pile
carpets are spread over the pavement
In front Of the entrance TO the stores,
20 that my great lady and my little
lady, soon in time to be great. may not
soil their dainty silken slippers as they
pass into the fairyland more beautiful
than that shown in the transformation
scenes in the pantomime-the great
vaulted spaces where all that is most
ingenious, most enchanting in play
things. offers itself for purchase by the
visiting exquisites.
London's babes are now revealing In
toyland. And, oh, but II is sadly anus
ing TO see the wearied, wistfully blase
faces of these titled little boys ana
girls as they turn up their little noses
at the most magnificent Of dollies, the
most cunningly contrived articulated
animals and Noahs arks which would
have made that old man of Ararat
gasp with wonder. The children of the
rich are surfeited with joys. What Of
the children of the poor?
In the London Squaor.
Go into Whtechapel or Poplar or the
vast sadness Of Bow and Bromley.
This is quite another London. White
chapel Is still very much the London of
Dickens. Of Hogarth. and you must not
complain about the lights The street
lamps are few and far between; the
houses are tall. and they seem to be
nodding at one another Were these
streets ever washed? you may ask, but
do not expect a definite answer.
The Duchess Of Marlborough, Lady
Arthur Paget. Lady Craven and othet
great ladies are now. at last asking
these questions To some purpose. In
the mean time they are bringing the
wonders Of LOndOn's toyland TO the
little Joy starved children Of the East
End. II causes lump TO rise In ones
throat 10 see the delight sparkling from
the eyes OF these babes of the poor.
How happy are they in all their pow
erty, and just because TO them Kris
Kringle is real and the toys given TO
them are 50 wonderfully bliss inspir-
ing
Ministering angels are these titled
women. whose hearts are still human.
Jeames and Taumas, it is true sniff in
lordly disdain as they step gingerly
from my lady's broom" (broIgham)
across none too clean. broken and slip
perry sidewalks and up rickety flights
Ol NidINs anu 81 I'll AAiF pun NVhANii
have made their backs ache in prepar-
ing the yule feast for their lords and
masters. VIII or Jack or Ned may roll
home drunk or not at all But the good
women cannot mend or end these mis-
fits. Jeames. Haumas and the drunken
husbands are not human.
Yet Christmas in England this year
will apparently be festival to cele-
brate the high water mark Of a year of !
prosperity. BY all the signs |
the country has never had a period of !
greater or more prosperous activity. In |
London and in the towns. great and !
small. throughout the country on every |
hand are 10 be seen the manifestations |
Of vast, profitable and sanguine energy. I.
The traffic Of the streets. the hustle of !
the shops and the lighthearted freedom |
with which money is circulated inn /
press themselves upon the observation. |
In hotels and at restaurants and |
places of entertainments in London /
there are no vacant places Nightly it |
is almost impossible. except for people |
who book seats or who wait patiently |
In queues for the doors To open. to find |
room in any theatre or music hall Civ /
ing anything like an attractive enter
tainment. The people Of all classes not |
only have money in their pockets, but !
are not afraid to spend it. They are |
doing well and they feel that they will |
continue To do well. The general at
mosphere is one of cheerfulness In |
the shops it is 10 be noticed that goods
Of better quality than ever before are
exposed for sale. The people want bet
Ter things than used to satisfy them.
and are prepared TO pay better prices
than ever before.
British Seamen Happy.
As an indication of the general pros
Derity OF the country nothing could be !
more enlightening than the voluntary
grant by the Shipping Federation of a
81 IN g - '