LONDON PRIDE

Evening Star, Issue 19613, 20 July 1927, Page 3

LONDON PRIDE

“What is this called!'” I asked the old man at the flower and plant stall in the market, indicating what appeared to be some hind of rock plant. “Saxifraga umbrosa,” ho replied (or at least it sounded like that), in an and-uow-you’rc-as-wise-as-cvcr sort of tone. Perhaps h > realised that 1 was nut as fully enlightened as 1 had hoped to be; at any rate, he added, with the hint of a twinkle in his mild blue eyes, u but if vou was to ask me now what I calls it I'd tell you it’s London Pride.” “ Not actually,” I murmured. It seined incredible that such an humbleseeming plant should have so splendid a name. “Yes,” ho insisted. Why not? “Well, I don’t know,” I replied, “except that—well, it does not seem to represent the pride of London somehow.” The flower and plaid man put down the shears with which lie was trimming some potted geraniums and regarded me more intently. “ Ah,” he remarked, “ ’avo you been in London, then?” I had, and 1 told him of some things that to mo seemed more typical of Old .London's pride. “Ah,” he said, “you know somethink about London, lady. I was bred and born and lived over forty year in London. London pride! Yes, London pride is a queer thing. -Not the (lower, I mean, but the thing itself. (Oh, yes, it ’as a flower. Not much of a flower, but it ’as one.) We Londoners is proud of some things as might seem odd like to people that ain’t Londoners. Country people now, they goes to places what born Londoners often pays no attention to, and versy versy, as you might say. Once I showed a lady the dogs’ lot" in Hyde Park, and she asks me ’ave I ever been in the Poets’ Coiner in Westminster Abbey, and when 1 says I ain’t never been in Westminster Abbey she was quite upset. But there, she didn’t know as there was a church in Piccadilly what ’as jasmine a-growiug on it. “ Yes, mum, we Londoners are a funny lot for fair. I was telling a gentleman one time about our fogs, and ’e says as I talked as if I was proud of our ‘ London particulars,’ and I dunno but what 1 used to be. London pride, now; it ain’t what you could call a showy plant, but—’ow much? Uh, 15 cents to you, lady. Thank you. ’That there is rosemary, o’ course you know. THank you, Good day.” —‘ Christian Science Monitor.’