the uncommercial traveller-第101章

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upon　ages　old；　that　geologists　have　identified　on　the　face　of　a

cliff；　and　this　speculation　came　over　me：　　If　this　mud　could

petrify　at　this　moment；　and　could　lie　concealed　here　for　ten

thousand　years；　I　wonder　whether　the　race　of　men　then　to　be　our

successors　on　the　earth　could；　from　these　or　any　marks；　by　the

utmost　force　of　the　human　intellect；　unassisted　by　tradition；

deduce　such　an　astounding　inference　as　the　existence　of　a　polished

state　of　society　that　bore　with　the　public　savagery　of　neglected

children　in　the　streets　of　its　capital　city；　and　was　proud　of　its

power　by　sea　and　land；　and　never　used　its　power　to　seize　and　save

them！



After　this；　when　I　came　to　the　Old　Bailey　and　glanced　up　it　towards

Newgate；　I　found　that　the　prison　had　an　inconsistent　look。　　There

seemed　to　be　some　unlucky　inconsistency　in　the　atmosphere　that　day；

for　though　the　proportions　of　St。　Paul's　Cathedral　are　very

beautiful；　it　had　an　air　of　being　somewhat　out　of　drawing；　in　my

eyes。　　I　felt　as　though　the　cross　were　too　high　up；　and　perched

upon　the　intervening　golden　ball　too　far　away。



Facing　eastward；　I　left　behind　me　Smithfield　and　Old　Bailey；　…　fire

and　faggot；　condemned　hold；　public　hanging；　whipping　through　the

city　at　the　cart…tail；　pillory；　branding…iron；　and　other　beautiful

ancestral　landmarks；　which　rude　hands　have　rooted　up；　without

bringing　the　stars　quite　down　upon　us　as　yet；　…　and　went　my　way

upon　my　beat；　noting　how　oddly　characteristic　neighbourhoods　are

divided　from　one　another；　hereabout；　as　though　by　an　invisible　line

across　the　way。　　Here　shall　cease　the　bankers　and　the　money…

changers；　here　shall　begin　the　shipping　interest　and　the　nautical…

instrument　shops；　here　shall　follow　a　scarcely　perceptible

flavouring　of　groceries　and　drugs；　here　shall　come　a　strong

infusion　of　butchers；　now；　small　hosiers　shall　be　in　the　ascendant；

henceforth；　everything　exposed　for　sale　shall　have　its　ticketed

price　attached。　　All　this　as　if　specially　ordered　and　appointed。



A　single　stride　at　Houndsditch　Church；　no　wider　than　sufficed　to

cross　the　kennel　at　the　bottom　of　the　Canon…gate；　which　the　debtors

in　Holyrood　sanctuary　were　wont　to　relieve　their　minds　by　skipping

over；　as　Scott　relates；　and　standing　in　delightful　daring　of

catchpoles　on　the　free　side；　…　a　single　stride；　and　everything　is

entirely　changed　in　grain　and　character。　　West　of　the　stride；　a

table；　or　a　chest　of　drawers　on　sale；　shall　be　of　mahogany　and

French…polished；　east　of　the　stride；　it　shall　be　of　deal；　smeared

with　a　cheap　counterfeit　resembling　lip…salve。　　West　of　the　stride；

a　penny　loaf　or　bun　shall　be　compact　and　self…contained；　east　of

the　stride；　it　shall　be　of　a　sprawling　and　splay…footed　character；

as　seeking　to　make　more　of　itself　for　the　money。　　My　beat　lying

round　by　Whitechapel　Church；　and　the　adjacent　sugar…refineries；　…

great　buildings；　tier　upon　tier；　that　have　the　appearance　of　being

nearly　related　to　the　dock…warehouses　at　Liverpool；　…　I　turned　off

to　my　right；　and；　passing　round　the　awkward　corner　on　my　left；　came

suddenly　on　an　apparition　familiar　to　London　streets　afar　off。



What　London　peripatetic　of　these　times　has　not　seen　the　woman　who

has　fallen　forward；　double；　through　some　affection　of　the　spine；

and　whose　head　has　of　late　taken　a　turn　to　one　side；　so　that　it　now

droops　over　the　back　of　one　of　her　arms　at　about　the　wrist？　　Who

does　not　know　her　staff；　and　her　shawl；　and　her　basket；　as　she

gropes　her　way　along；　capable　of　seeing　nothing　but　the　pavement；

never　begging；　never　stopping；　for　ever　going　somewhere　on　no

business？　　How　does　she　live；　whence　does　she　come；　whither　does

she　go；　and　why？　　I　mind　the　time　when　her　yellow　arms　were　naught

but　bone　and　parchment。　　Slight　changes　steal　over　her；　for　there

is　a　shadowy　suggestion　of　human　skin　on　them　now。　　The　Strand　may

be　taken　as　the　central　point　about　which　she　revolves　in　a　half…

mile　orbit。　　How　comes　she　so　far　east　as　this？　　And　coming　back

too！　　Having　been　how　much　farther？　　She　is　a　rare　spectacle　in

this　neighbourhood。　　I　receive　intelligent　information　to　this

effect　from　a　dog　…　a　lop…sided　mongrel　with　a　foolish　tail；

plodding　along　with　his　tail　up；　and　his　ears　pricked；　and

displaying　an　amiable　interest　in　the　ways　of　his　fellow…men；　…　if

I　may　be　allowed　the　expression。　　After　pausing　at　a　pork…shop；　he

is　jogging　eastward　like　myself；　with　a　benevolent　countenance　and

a　watery　mouth；　as　though　musing　on　the　many　excellences　of　pork；

when　he　beholds　this　doubled…up　bundle　approaching。　　He　is　not　so

much　astonished　at　the　bundle　（though　amazed　by　that）；　as　the

circumstance　that　it　has　within　itself　the　means　of　locomotion。　　He

stops；　pricks　his　ears　higher；　makes　a　slight　point；　stares；　utters

a　short；　low　growl；　and　glistens　at　the　nose；　…　as　I　conceive　with

terror。　　The　bundle　continuing　to　approach；　he　barks；　turns　tail；

and　is　about　to　fly；　when；　arguing　with　himself　that　flight　is　not

becoming　in　a　dog；　he　turns；　and　once　more　faces　the　advancing　heap

of　clothes。　　After　much　hesitation；　it　occurs　to　him　that　there　may

be　a　face　in　it　somewhere。　　Desperately　resolving　to　undertake　the

adventure；　and　pursue　the　inquiry；　he　goes　slowly　up　to　the　bundle；

goes　slowly　round　it；　and　coming　at　length　upon　the　human

countenance　down　there　where　never　human　countenance　should　be；

gives　a　yelp　of　horror；　and　flies　for　the　East　India　Docks。



Being　now　in　the　Commercial　Road　district　of　my　beat；　and

bethinking　myself　that　Stepney　Station　is　near；　I　quicken　my　pace

that　I　may　turn　out　of　the　road　at　that　point；　and　see　how　my　small

eastern　star　is　shining。



The　Children's　Hospital；　to　which　I　gave　that　name；　is　in　full

force。　　All　its　beds　are　occupied。　　There　is　a　new　face　on　the　bed

where　my　pretty　baby　lay；　and　that　sweet　little　child　is　now　at

rest　for　ever。　　Much　kind　sympathy　has　been　here　since　my　former

visit；　and　it　is　good　to　see　the　walls　profusely　garnished　with

dolls。　　I　wonder　what　Poodles　may　think　of　them；　as　they　stretch

out　their　arms　above　the　beds；　and　stare；　and　display　their

splendid　dresses。　　Poodles　has　a　greater　interest　in　the　patients。

I　find　him　making　the　round　of　the　beds；　like　a　house…surgeon；

attended　by　another　dog；　…　a　friend；　…　who　appears　to　trot　about

with　him　in　the　character　of　his　pupil　dresser。　　Poodles　is　anxious

to　make　me　known　to　a　pretty　little　girl　looking　wonderfully

healthy；　who　had　had　a　leg　taken　off　for　cancer　of　the　knee。　　A

difficult　operation；　Poodles　intimates；　wagging　his　tail　on　the

counterpane；　but　perfectly　successful；　as　you　see；　dear　sir！　　The

patient；　patting　Poodles；　adds　with　a　smile；　'The　leg　was　so　much

trouble　to　me；　that　I　am　glad　it's　gone。'　　I　never　saw　anything　in

doggery　finer　than　the　deportment　of　Poodles；　when　another　little

girl　opens　her　mouth　to　show　a　peculiar　enlargement　of　the　tongue。

Poodles　（at　that　time　on　a　table；　to　be　on　a　level　with　the

occasion）　looks　at　the　tongue　（with　his　own　sympathetically　out）　so

very　gravely　and　knowingly；　that　I　feel　inclined　to　put　my　hand　in

my　waistcoat…pocket；　and　give　him　a　guinea；　wrapped　in　paper。



On　my　beat　again；　and　close　to　Limehouse　Church；　its　termination；　I

found　myself　near　to　certain　'Lead…Mills。'　　Struck　by　the　name；

which　was　fresh　in　my　memory；　and　finding；　on　inquiry；　that　these

same　lead…mills　were　identified　with　those　same　lead…mills　of　which

I　made　mention　when　I　first　visited　the　East　London　Children's

Hospital　and　its　neighbourhood　as　Uncommercial　Traveller；　I

resolved　to　have　a　look　at　them。



Received　by　two　very　intelligent　gentlemen；　brothers；　and　partners

with　their　father　in　the　concern；　and　who　testified　every　desire　to

show　their　works　to　me　freely；　I　went　over　the　lead…mills。　　The

purport　of　such　works　is　the　conversion　of　pig…lead　into　white…

lead。　　This　conversion　is　brought　about　by　the　slow　and　gradual

effecting　of　certain　successive　chemical　changes　in