The Washington herald., 1922-08-29
4-s - ~ ~
curing Europe,
Day. byi Day
BY Q. Q. Mcintyre.

e /. y
narrow slit u J. street. is the nash
lest tfofoushfare in London. 1t 10
the towns Broadway. lined with
cheap teweiry shops, cinemas. hab-
erdasheries. cafes and bars. silk
rubs elbow with shiny serge.
Here one sees, London's tragic. old
men who have. gone down In the
battle Of life. Each nose is read
empurpled by the grape. Dropping
white mustahes are stained with
the over-present pipe. They have
a horid. unheaithy took. And the
eyes Of dead ash.
They Go not beg. They stand
about ave feet apart from one end
Of the Strand to the other hoidiny
out their tawdry wares-hapef,ny
match boxes, toy rimcrs ks. canes
sensational yeilow-backs and what
not. They do not beseech trad>.
They merely stand and pun their
pipes.
Flowers. loidy, a penny a
packet" sing the coster women. old
ard snakglcd-tooth hags who are as
pathetically vivacions as the men
are drab and morose. They wear
comic little poke bonnets and they
reek with the fumes of beer and
ale.
The war, has left its scars along
the Strand. Armiess. legless and
blind gather in groups. As sub
terfuRe for begging they sing or
play m-slcal Instruments. And they
carry signs around their necks an
noun"ing that they are truly war
invalids-not shams.
The news vendors. too are all
old. There arc few newsboys in
London. The newspaper sellers are
encased in bulletin boards like the
American sandwich men and in mar
ing posters thev announce the lead
ing news article Of the hour. For
instance. In screaming red type one
reads: Kent VS.. Surrey. Result"
Or: Actress. Robbed in Clapharn
Chambers" 49,.
The difference between the Strand
and broadway Is that as in all
other pa Of ] ordon 1t is deserted
by 1880. Fly II one sees only the
English hobbies lettering about on
the corners.
As write, the Iane-like street
upon which my window overlooks
Is filled with children. An old street
musician with a wheezy portable
organ which ne plays with one hand
while he blows a cornet held by the
other Is rendering when You and
Were Young Maggie" 1t is a
doleful aria at best. but il never
before seemed so sad. ! tossed him
two small coins. which the children
picked up and promtly handed to
him. He stood and bowed and as
an encore played the organ with
both hands and sang. BERTHE. Me
Lad a coster song, and his voice
was as sweet and clear, as any I
have ever heard.
Last night. walked along Drury
Lane. passing the old Drury Lane
Theater. and got down among the
rows of picturesque bars remindful
Of the days when Over the Rhine in
Cincinnati was a show place. The
bars here have picturesque names.
The Yorkshire Tavern and The
Dauphin." A typical East End
crowd was in front Of each and the
old women stood out front slipping
their beer while the children played
along the CUTTERS. From there I
walked along Houndsditch and Wis
tied the bars which the aged Lon
don cabbies frequent. They were
there, each holding his whip In
hand. sucking at a foul smelling
pipe, and discussing the trif,ing
topics OF the day. One told me he
was once a grooms man at the
stables Of His Majesty. King Ed
ward. uBt as left crony fol-
lowed me to my taXicab. IT say
sir" he said. ''old Terry is a bit
blighty. sir He was feedin' you
toffee. Upon my word. he has been
cabbie since he was a stripping"
Londoners never say Turn to the
right or left" The bobbie in Regent
street. for instance. said: AT the
next turning. sir. go right" They
certainly sir you to death in this
town. from taxi driver to hotel