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over the teacups-第66章

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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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