over the teacups-第58章

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announcement。　　It　is　a　proof　of　the　high　regard　in　which　the

estimable　and　gifted　lady　who　shares　her　husband's　labors　is　held　by

the　people　of　their　congregation；　and　the　friends　who　share　in　their

feelings。　　It　is　such　a　master　stroke　of　policy；　too；　to　keep　back

the　principal　attraction　until　the　guests　must　have　grown　eager　for

her　appearance：　I　can　well　imagine　how　great　a　saving　it　must　have

been　to　the　good　lady's　nerves；　which　were　probably　pretty　well　tried

already　by　the　fatigues　and　responsibilities　of　the　busy　evening。　　I

have　a　right　to　say　this；　for　I　myself　had　the　honor　of　attending　a

meeting　at　Mr。　Haweis's　house；　where　I　was　a　principal　guest；　as　I

suppose；　from　the　fact　of　the　great　number　of　persons　who　were

presented　to　me。　　The　minister　must　be　very　popular；　for　the　meeting

was　a　regular　jam；not　quite　so　tremendous　as　that　greater　one；

where　but　for　the　aid　of　Mr。　Smalley；　who　kept　open　a　breathing…space

round　us；　my　companion　and　myself　thought　we　should　have　been

asphyxiated。



The　company　was　interested；　as　some　of　my　readers　maybe；　to　know　what

were　the　attractions　offered　to　the　visitors　besides　that　of　meeting

the　courteous　entertainers　and　their　distinguished　guests。　　I　cannot

give　these　at　length；　for　each　part　of　the　show　is　introduced　in　the

programme　with　apt　quotations　and　pleasantries；　which　enlivened　the

catalogue。　　There　were　eleven　stalls；　〃conducted　on　the　cooperative

principle　of　division　of　profits　and　interest；　they　retain　the

profits；　and　you　take　a　good　deal　of　interest；　we　hope；　in　their

success。〃



Stall　No。　1。　　Edisoniana；　or　the　Phonograph。　　Alluded　to　by

the　Roman　Poet　as　Vox；　et　praeterea　nihil。



Stall　No。　2。　　Money…changing。



Stall　No。　3。　　Programmes　and　General　Enquiries。



Stall　No。　4。　　Roses。



A　rose　by　any　other　name；　etc。　　Get　one。　　You　can't　expect　to　smell

one　without　buying　it；　but　you　may　buy　one　without　smelling　it。



Stall　No。　　5。　　Lasenby　Liberty　Stall。

（I　cannot　explain　this。　　Probably　articles　from　Liberty's　famous

establishment。）



Stall　No。　　6。　　Historical　Costumes　and　Ceramics。



Stall　No。　　7。　　The　Fish…pond。



Stall　No。　　8。Varieties。



Stall　No。　　9。Bookstall。

（Books）　〃highly　recommended　for　insomnia；　friends　we　never　speak　to；

and　always　cut　if　we　want　to　know　them　well。〃



Stall　No。　　10。　　Icelandic。



Stall　No。　　11。　　Call　Office。

〃Mrs。　Magnusson；　who　is　devoted　to　the　North　Pole　and　all　its　works；

will　thaw　your　sympathies；　enlighten　your　minds；〃　etc。；　etc。



All　you　buy　may　be　left　at　the　stalls；　ticketed。　　A　duplicate　ticket

will　be　handed　to　you　on　leaving。　　Present　your　duplicate　at　the　Call

Office。



At　9。45；　First　Concert。



At　10。45；　An　Address　of　Welcome　by　Rev。　H。　R。　Haweis。



At　11　P。　M。；　Bird…warbling　Interlude　by　Miss　Mabel　Stephenson；

U。　S。　A。



At　11。20；　Second　Concert。



　　　　　　　　　　NOTICE　！



Three　Great　Pictures。



LORD　TENNYSON。　　　　G。　F。　Watts；　R。　A。

JOHN　STUART　MILL　　G。　F。　Watts；　R。　A。

J0SEPH　GARIBALDI　　Sig。　Rondi。



　　　　　　　　　　NOTICE　！



A　Famous　Violin。



A　world…famed　Stradivarius　Violin；　for　which　Mr。　Hill；　of　Bond

Street；　gave　L　1000；　etc。；　etc。



　　　　　　　　　　REFRESHMENTS。



Tickets　for　Tea；　Coffee；　Sandwiches；　Iced　Drinks；　or　Ices；　Sixpence

each；　etc。；　etc。



I　hope　my　American　reader　is　pleased　and　interested　by　this　glimpse

of　the　way　in　which　they　do　these　things　in　London。



There　is　something　very　pleasant　about　all　this；　but　what　specially

strikes　me　is　a　curious　flavor　of　city　provincialism。　　There　are

little　centres　in　the　heart　of　great　cities；　just　as　there　are　small

fresh…water　ponds　in　great　islands　with　the　salt　sea　roaring　all

round　them；　and　bays　and　creeks　penetrating　them　as　briny　as　the

ocean　itself。　　Irving　has　given　a　charming　picture　of　such　a　quasi…

provincial　centre　in　one　of　his　papers　in　the　Sketch…Book；the　one

with　the　title　〃Little　Britain。〃　　London　is　a　nation　of　itself；　and

contains　provinces；　districts；　foreign　communities；　villages；

parishes；innumerable　lesser　centres；　with　their　own　distinguishing

characteristics；　habits；　pursuit；　languages；　social　laws；　as　much

isolated　from　each　other　as　if　〃mountains　interposed　〃　made　the

separation　between　them。　　One　of　these　lesser　centres　is　that　over

which　my　friend　Mr。　Haweis　presides　as　spiritual　director。　　Chelsea

has　been　made　famous　as　the　home　of　many　authors　and　artists；above

all；　as　the　residence　of　Carlyle　during　the　greater　part　of　his　life。

Its　population；　like　that　of　most　respectable　suburbs；　must　belong

mainly　to　the　kind　of　citizens　which　resembles　in　many　ways　the

better　class；as　we　sometimes　dare　to　call　it；of　one　of　our

thriving　New　England　towns。　　How　many　John　Gilpins　there　must　be　in

this　population；citizens　of　〃famous　London　town；〃　but　living　with

the　simplicity　of　the　inhabitants　of　our　inland　villages！　　In　the

mighty　metropolis　where　the　wealth　of　the　world　displays　itself　they

practise　their　snug　economies；　enjoy　their　simple　pleasures；　and　look

upon　ice…cream　as　a　luxury；　just　as　if　they　were　living　on　the　banks

of　the　Connecticut　or　the　Housatonic；　in　regions　where　the　summer

locusts　of　the　great　cities　have　not　yet　settled　on　the　verdure　of

the　native　inhabitants。　　It　is　delightful　to　realize　the　fact　that

while　the　West　End　of　London　is　flaunting　its　splendors　and　the　East

End　in　struggling　with　its　miseries；　these　great　middle…class

communities　are　living　as　comfortable；　unpretending　lives　as　if　they

were　in　one　of　our　thriving　townships　in　the　huckleberry…districts。

Human　beings　are　wonderfully　alike　when　they　are　placed　in　similar

conditions。



We　were　sitting　together　in　a　very　quiet　way　over　our　teacups。　　The

young　Doctor；　who　was　in　the　best　of　spirits；　had　been　laughing　and

chatting　with　the　two　Annexes。　　The　Tutor；　who　always　sits　next　to

Number　Five　of　late；　had　been　conversing　with　her　in　rather　low

tones。　　The　rest　of　us　had　been　soberly　sipping　our　tea；　and　when　the

Doctor　and　the　Annexes　stopped　talking　there　was　one　of　those　dead

silences　which　are　sometimes　so　hard　to　break　in　upon；　and　so　awkward

while　they　last。　　All　at　once　Number　Seven　exploded　in　a　loud　laugh；

which　startled　everybody　at　the　table。



What　is　it　that　sets　you　laughing　so？　　said　I。



〃I　was　thinking；〃　Number　Seven　replied；　〃of　what　you　said　the　other

day　of　poetry　being　only　the　ashes　of　emotion。　　I　believe　that　some

people　are　disposed　to　dispute　the　proposition。　　I　have　been　putting

your　doctrine　to　the　test。　　In　doing　it　I　made　some　rhymes；the

first　and　only　ones　I　ever　made。　　I　will　suppose　a　case　of　very

exciting　emotion；　and　see　whether　it　would　probably　take　the　form　of

poetry　or　prose。　　You　are　suddenly　informed　that　your　house　is　on

fire；　and　have　to　scramble　out　of　it；　without　stopping　to　tie　your

neck…cloth　neatly　or　to　put　a　flower　in　your　buttonhole。　　Do　you

think　a　poet　turning　out　in　his　night…dress；　and　looking　on　while　the

flames　were　swallowing　his　home　and　all　its　contents；　would　express

himself　in　this　style？





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　house　is　on　fire！

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　Bring　me　my　lyre！

　　　　　Like　the　flames　that　rise　heavenward　my　song　shall　aspire！



He　would　n't　do　any　such　thing；　and　you　know　he　wouldn't。　　He　would

yell　Fire！　Fire！　with　all　his　might。　　Not　much　rhyming　for　him　just

yet！　　Wait　until　the　fire　is　put　out；　and　he　has　had　time　to　look　at

the　charred　timbers　and　the　ashes　of　his　home；　and　in　the　course　of　a

week　he　may　possibly　spin　a　few　rhymes　about　it。　　Or　suppose　he　was

making　an　offer　of　his　hand　and　heart；　do　you　think　he　would　declaim

a　versified　proposal　to　his　Amanda；　or　perhaps　write　an　impromptu　on

the　back　of　his　hat　while　he　knelt　before　her？



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　My　beloved；　to　you

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　I　will　always　be　true。

　　　　　Oh；　pray　make　me　happy；　my　love；　do！　do！　do！



What　would　Amanda　think　of　a　suitor　who　courted　her　with　a　rhyming