HOW THE POOR SHOP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 10423, 27 July 1895, Page 7

HOW THE POOR SHOP.

•"■■'■•'' •" '" [Bt "AiiEij."] ' ; ';■■■-'■<•• '■<'. '-'■':■■'■•'■■•"■■j.i '■■'■< "London, April 19.; ' If a visitor to this new Babylon he so mi dined, he can .'simply,, by keeping in the welK, ordered lq^aii^i^B; aiid thoroughfares, remain in great part obliviousi to the life below.:the life of

order, luxury, and ease of the wealthy. True

it :'lb'- that1- outside - .each ■ mansion' the beggar

lurks, and is .brushed by silken skirts .even in

Hyde Park. Bub the life'of the poor en viasse

doe 3 hot-1 intrude; itselE into great squares and

•carriage .^aya.-i.' Itua. there individually to work

or -beg,;, but. it goes home to shop, and eat, and sleeipi ■'■■'.-■■-■ i.'-' ■. :.-?■"/■■■_ ■ ■'■•■ ■ '.■;•; Within a stone's, throw of each aristocratic locality there is the genteel lccs-lity and the: shabby genteel streets, where people of limited, means, string pitifully, to keep.,sapted,. the trad.i-, ti^fi.V%g^ieffiliti,^d ; '^<i}d. : fa»j;. to';th6t which is! good*:'ii£ this i%nt.'priyioyr4i?6nt; .clothing,-, niaucer, aHdAdej&rfcmeiit.X 'Nevor mind how, fierce the struggle inside tUbdtavn blinds, h6w sordid? aud; me»n^.iblie..agpoi l aimen^ o^ life $}6y'; contrive goraehowl.toilseepisttle, SB,a;a>y i 'bide

turned,, inwards,^ and for all' the next door nsishbpnr 'may or care the seams *ye rough-edged euoiigb', and wear the human flesh.

lat.AY.h'ich .they. Rub,

iet a street further bapk from the shabby genteel t§rrac« or rcrescgnt^w come suddeajy: among the teiiaments of th£' v?ori;ing claos and the poor, and here are1 their markets. No stately assistant bows the pustpmecs from door tij .couQter .and :l froin-,c6uoter Jq,door.- No Has ot"csrriaoes; wjth.'iilivprie^ an(}.,ppwiiered: f?>qti9feni';'';iin> !'the:''': rb.adwa?sri:''':bjit; \)a,tioyfs sgiil' ='steills :i and ',. '■' oiperi-ftonted ' sho^g," :! with spirited wjthi mftrked-iadiyidußlity: and-inherenfciaiidfteity/iniJangpaßeaodaddress, &\\ yying.^ith^^oh^pthßr.tp tracje possibi^ in; the; happiest^ tpannerv ; . the ;tion;*'of/s.ll';lindmd,u^it7.';i!bj;;t^e,';s4meii<!E3 jp^^e'\honß :^.'- ;Bn,dI i t^e\appgßi^ i ce|,o'f-!;'th'oir ocoupiimfcs^rihiiy^ M^ , yenti^BiV:'pa^e'lioaHy'^^oiiti^th^.'^uil^a transition! mio j ti^fe';'jni.arKetTpJ.a^> of/'. the; poor, 'Nwith: iirpeouliar';jind;dQwnrJglii)'''ai^tipnfljlj4d '■'fe6.-aneidvaialoftW l '\''fljitbV'it?'''.wTd!:'lifo!'ia^

forceful ;^'^ refreshing'as j &

green field1 after'smgo.thb'ut^6fr_ftary pavemepta. /jjplqw/ttf^he^Baysw^ ! markets "of;'tnbj'ptfor^k^ ■rparj,>nd,! fnrtheraway yet^theTprtfibglJloioa'd, .w|i^r^.:.-'bejiig'i.iip}d!:tliat:!'^i(^^J.go£ many of <hJib!;;'ph'a/al!;^B'>;fromitliie'''dißferict; vre'sallisd1

forth one Saturd&y .night to see. i iit'first ;tby:crow4;. ftnft CqtiM/were.vuti^te ligible.'.'.Tile sight;'at .fitsi^repr^aen^ci.a'mass-of-,people;all?pressing' to 'cfrt'ain■ ppjnts..(iad crowding';rpn.uQ. wliet^.iiib'Y^idotft' W'iea^wejre: loUdes^; b'ufr.after a.;timp,.wfieh one gotas^d to the jwUingsi^t^'xdaldr.disti^g'uiah vid.ua|'./..ian^;^'.s6^i}d.V;'Kom y.-anot^eti'.'^.the Spegtacle,' .^?as', pk ; 1 interesting.- c ; in';'^t's;7, v?ay »s ;-<":tJie>,':Vv iiorS.,"' Mayor's? ~BhpWi: p£/!.'Hyde ißaxli;;':: ppirner' :,.'; in ';' tlie. Be^sou^athqsfj and hiiinquVi j'cpmpdj". ; j(wtil.]iog ) .eachi ot li'er',: 'in,' a, ; 'i^aSi'jso'j all.'.inteiits\; arid' purppses; ptHcttqalin |tHe px^remfe., ,I.^^ Jji (! il"" ■!.',;'."''*■.',''* -; "'" ;, '£iqt'ure~ tofyP^?^-^?'?1 *-,:; Jjroad^'jjiiaeiven,: Bligtti^j uri^ul&tin'g. Btreiety.Hne4,i'with;.aliop's of all'sorts ;fronythe, tiny domibil^. of .the cqbDler^wito'jußt'irpptn, fora ;BnraU: cpunlerva green;purtaiii| and -an.. iroti;.rjjd,;'.etid ;space' be;Wbd^kß^oun4ef;ftic thWprqj)rieWrj ; '.and; space lijnind ithe^vtainfor the worKpan7', and Tpom ■(anpiighiuthe bocl'j.of^h.e'shopVfpV'oiie^cuß^onier r-to ~th6, flkiing .ga.B-lit| gin"; palae^,' sp^pVous', .gacish, >ncl:; cpp^d^d, Anglo-coionial Stores,-yjiiete.ypucan gst any thing; you can! payj for, froin ; aiipJ3.nnywpitJi oi bu^te^ tp a. hsiri; ; On .bothgidesvof'the idid,",alj>^g\^lie\ke^l) l ;aTeiiliklis 'andbatroyfe,', loaded '.ynfrbi. yegpteble?'' and fruit.. At.rpiie.^atapdi,'.a.,loud-ypic&d" ; lgirl*. oryipg:, ? ; *^air-snip? |1. fineV. pjar-snips!.,/three.; a ; penny, par-snipa ! "and an; oia-'olptlies-..yenfjori wijih: a pile.qf secQn4-bw4''g^^i^^i^*\aer^.y;eHß'in;a »teillr.^ey|';f ,'lNpw," lydiea ;' this;,wai,'; 'lydies.l if yer.Vin^wt-[''lßee\'SQmefeinK<'ani^ble/an4\n i e3J^" Aiicl thatirgpme^ing-.suitable and new is ,fpund among thei.'^j'spr'tmeijt;p'if Bkifts'and jic^ets for the;slipshod,p^le-j^ped,Lfaotpry^girl andf'the the;'pugi'lijitio''' wpnaiaii, ! smeilißg:,with gin. ;i» proved; byi'tap'.way^she^winks ab. you when, she, bejng first in % fielil,.Becures'the prize.;.;; [ . j?pr a moment, throagh, the' clqmonr of. the ■ypu^^:'/rom/;BomcwJb^t^.!a^Bilvery/,omine of sweeti "ch'nrqh "bell?;"^an'd; 'a,' .curate . dt^ssjed.. in. rusty bjack Walks swiftly along.to^ the ) church at the corner, pale-faced, witn-terise, seb eispre3'sipu, '.by the sight qf two .women fighting outside the gin shop^one whUe-haired, the other in her tjeens.! He lives in such scenes ; he'i!rfighting' ; them;evfiry.,hWr i p_t^^ b^rfiUfe; .'he'is.going now.;frorid a.clay* toil ti> an evening service, and though you nau!t hpar them here in the ; atreets, .behind. 'thpßo';^walle', whifefrobed ch'oriajteraare singing,'.;"Oh, ~come? j, let;u 's"sing .iintotheJCprd.'/ ", '■ ',','■■'. "'-V.'r•■'"■■ ' ■■ < -•--,. > ■. ~,Ypu. are; rpMßed from |yout'! abstraction, by ■ a shrill o.ry..under, ypur ; ear': , ,f|Vil«ts,'l' sweet yileta ;,' buy'/Viiiy vilets,'-". Only ..-a. .penny, lydie. Do .buy," and a^eadayerouß,;oldrgirf child, who. ij^yer; Had ;a. baby's ways,: and will neyerjhayeis womau'dj looks up at you fropa between a^ tattered Bhawl,;and then,' ; l6okiftg furtively round to be'surV there is no ppiicaman near, she changes her, business cry; to. tha heggar'B whine.: "(jon^you spare a, copper lydie ?, Do lydie ! c I'm so 'ung'ry. , ( . : ; ~;. Attracted by the sigbt pf a ; crow(t<.rpund a largeiStall ,by the purb/iu tha roadway,, you linger also, and find that it is a liish stall, and that the proprietor is commonly known to his customers as " Charlie." ~ - Charlie ia a 'wellbuilt, gopd-looking v njan —-.^mpre ' like a fisherman than .any,other type; to compare him to.'aunbrovfried apd stalwart.' /.He cdhducfcs his busiacs3 in. his .i>hirfc- sleeves; '.'Now, uiy deara," ho saysin.deoiiJed tonai, in which persuasion and. otinvictiou 'are blended, as he.addresses ;hia mixed audknce. ''.Now's your, timd. . Splendid mackerel. Herts.cud for. you! . JEHpaterß an' 'errin's ;,.'era's.,'a'rrin's ! Come on my dears. Waat for you; fresh or silt, my. dear H" ;, ; ' .. : As.l. didn't ..want either I drew a lifctle' farther back.into the crowd, and watched those whd did.. Thi; fish was splentlid' and'fcb'o crowd about the stall eeem&d to kopw it wt^s; i'or they purchased'quickly, or'looked—lihoois who couUi :npt--withloDgiug eyeaor.appreciatigu pf itach other's gopd sense. ' Qne man, in. a paper c*p, and a clay, pipe in his mouth,'.which he had allowed to go putiin'hia intsreot, and v/hieh was turned upside down, audibly gave vent to his approbation as purchasers moved aside with tUeir bargains,; '^ That's .a )deeent bib 'o.fliih." "You'reright'there, Charlie!" " . ; . A group oat of any one of the London: illuntratipusof a mob would describe the1 group I am ti-ying tb'set before you. The mau with the paper cap, the fat old woman, shoek-htKided and bonnetlessi the.barefppted ragged boys, the woman, with her, bonnet qu liar uepk, the tawdry-dressed, girii and"(gpod to. look at)'the o6riiely, pliiinp London .wonjun, .wives of wbrkiDguien,; neat and aweet as primroson, with dark hair and eyes, taking no' notica of anything except the one important matter'of .picking: up a nice dish for their hosb»tid*s supper. And ever and anou the pale lonely man—a poor-salaried clerk, perhaps—will slip in and quietly purchase and slip away a«ai^ orth'esuperipr-lpokingwoniau, with careworn'faca and' quiet self-ppasessiou. No oob takes any undue notice, there I 8 an air of good fellowohip in.theao. London crowds that lS very impressive. ; . :.,.■■. ■ . . Outside the'Butcner'e .shop the group ib p- ßrhttps a little Buperior—meat is so dear that only thrifty workpeople can sffprd it. On the open bench-window'tempting joints an^ poorer parts are alike displayed, all ticketed at co much I)e r fblS Bd, &d lOd for beef; from 1M to la for mutton, except Hltle chips "and scrag ends which a colonial houwwife would throw to the cats, ar,d these are lumped together at 7d per Ib. Under the flaring gas jots the butcper steds, with knife and steel: 'This way, lyd,^. Tha rcil thing'ere. All English meat. Come, come and buy!" . . , •• In 'all this apparent pnblicity there .ja a good deal of privacy actually. >;Th^peopl c . come *,nd go so quickly. Th^y know just how much they Lye got to spend and where best they can be served.. .Some buy their food ready, cooked, and the shop where boiled beef and pork is sold, with peaa-pudding hot, does > thriving tode People of.all sorts and conditions are kur^'»g in and oufc-^ome with covered d.shes and basins; while the street urchin stands at th., door autl liaks bis ha'-peunyworth ot ding out of the paper it was served id, glaa enough to get it that way, and seeing; no reason why he shouldn't dine on the doorstep in lieu

of anywhere else to dine, and in answer to the pmh of a more important customer, saya reproachfully, leaving off licking the paper, " Now, then ; mind who you're shoviy! "

We turn then to bestow attention on two splendid-looking policemen, who make the 'pavement resound with their steady march. Bach officer has two boys in charge—a hand of tha man on a shoulder of the boy on either, side of him. The men are fine fellows, well drilled, Herculean in height and strength,; the boys are puny, old, paia-fsced specimens even of the old children of London. • Oao- is shaking pititfuUy with Undisguised tswror; another is wiaidDg gleefully ab the orowd; another is sad-looking, big-eyed, and gentle-faced; while tho fourth has the mock bravado of a houae- . breaker. .■:■.■,,•.

"What have they been doing?" I asked of a newspaper boy near..; ; .< " Gambling lydie.'-' ha answers. " : Uh, ; poor lads! ; Must they be arrested ?"■ "Oh, yis, lydie;,-the perlice muat run'am in for gaiublin', lydie!": •: ; ' '''. " -,: Aud so, poor lads, they were "ran in." I suppose they had'- been tossing four farthings be.bw.een them -to see who , should have the penny. .•.-■-.■ ;.-■■■ •■ ,■..■'■.•■:.■■ '. ■ ■:■-. "Tatees!" bellows the good-natured Irishwoman i beside you -on the ; curb.' : " Tatees, darl.in.fci.penny a,:pourid,'an'1 artichoks threeha'pence 1 iilhrie artichoke an''boranges; thi3 way, dearie !.: Lenjniinß,*was it lemmios you'd like? Sure an' the turnip-tops is lovely !" . ; ■. '.'This way for tripo,!' roara;the butcher's fat^ wi fa; froni the: shop window.; -« Tripe! Tripe I. Tripa! All fresh, eightpen'oe a pound ;;trips !;"; ,-.■..'•.(Era you are,'.my. dears! 'Urry up, lydies I Ccckillsand mussills^rpeDny a plate 1"■ : ■■ . s :But as you have had enoagh; ills without the ] special.dish .60 invitingly laid before yon, you turn to retrace your steps, and ■; are arrested next timeby a flaring torch-lit doorway, at ;\yhic.h stands a.man, dressed in Othello's old clothes,;inviting thOi public- from a thin, oon--sumptive cheat ta " 801 l hup and see Buffalo ■Biil l.Honly tuppence to heiiteri!"--; ,;:; »:The Jare; plastered, over-;with tercible- ■ looking. hantl'oillH, illustrative- of--battle and (murder aud all oortssbf sadden ;death, »nd frop inside; '... the .building l you-ihear ,th» sedncfeiya-Dtraios-of!a piano-organ; hut aU1 Italian 6elliog watericesata penny ea,ch gives youa:chill, and, : you tryharder to .push through the crowdsnd get home,:but not before an;old .womnn.-seated ■on a box, has invited you to buy.lieri,",Greeocsi-. wateroreeces," andi-collided with .'somebody taking home the-Bupper,;.'beer ina^ jug-—who as^»y y ou to ''Drawiic i»ild thMejimisans," arid. V7antß-to know !-V^Wiiere iyau'r^.a cqinin',,to ?,"; Then murmurs apologetically, .^No.'arm-done, lydie^only .a ;fe)ler don't. Ueer about ,'a'vin' 'is 'arf-an-'arf spillsd on theoutside'oit'is throat:" .Bub one .need, not r'go/iouteide ito. hear the ■ peculiar.-;cries .ofinthe strseji.^vendora.; ;■ The quietest street is 'not at e\l times exempt from ; themiir'TOflß Ivhavejbeen, \yritipg ;this:down, below the-window there have baenoneortwp ;obaraoteristio performances.v, One was a sort of duet between two.men ; who.'Went along'\witha, hand catt..- ; 'SPenny a, dozen-jestettians! "..iOn'a high .tenor key;, then, the baritone, "Foaria ■pauny beet root!"? then .the tenor, 'VBlants !■" -the baritone "Plants!.'.', and in: concert, MPlants, -plan^Si plants!.".,;-? ~-■■; ;,., ■,:. It was 1 more; effective .:than some -miglifc sappose. .-.i' !.JL\ .•■.■:r.- J H- •-' >:'•;-• :t:.'

Very early in the morning a musical miiknuu

i 3 regalarly heard. iHe yodeli:.''Threeha'pence a pint! :Don't;you kaowil-'-:<Q,lk OJ.rOh.aye ! Ohre-oh!." •■ Only ;he spoils it on the lower note, whoro the- Cockney twang. and a bad cold :fight ;forthe;mastevyi '.'■■•<•";■ * -■■■.•• :■'■-.<■.'!.'•■:•■.•■-:■>■:■■;.■- !