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no more claim to them than we plain Misters and Misseses; we may feel
to them something as our late friend Mr。 Appleton felt to the real
green turtle soup set before him; when he said that it was almost as
good as mock。
The entertainment on this occasion was of the most varied character。
The programme makes the following announcement:
Friday; 4 July; 18…。
At 8 P。 M。 the Doors will Open。
Mr。 Haweis will receive his Friends。
The Royal Handbell Ringers will Ring。
The Fish…pond will be Fished。
The Stalls will be Visited。
The Phonograph will Utter。
Refreshments will be called for; and they will come;Tea; Coffee;
and Cooling Drinks。 Spirits will not be called for; from the Vasty
Deep or anywhere else;nor would they come if they were。
At 9。30 Mrs。 Haweis will join the assembly。
I am particularly delighted with this last feature in the preliminary
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
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