The stately streets of London
Are always "up" in Spring,
To ordinary minds an ex-
traordinary thing.
Then cabs across strange ridges bound,
Or sink in holes, abused
With words resembling not, in sound,
Those Mrs. Hemans used.
The miry streets of London,
Dotted with lamps by night;
What pitfalls where the dazzled eye
Sees doubly ruddy light!
For in the season, just in May,
When many meetings meet,
The jocund vestry starts away,
And closes all the street.
The shut-up streets of London!
How willingly one jumps
From where one's cab must stop through pools
Of mud, in dancing pumps!
When thus one skips on miry ways
One's pride is much decreased,
Like Mrs. Gilpin's, for one's "chaise"
Is "three doors off" at least.
The free, fair streets of London
Long, long, in vestry hall,
May heads of native thickness rise,
When April showers fall;
And green for ever be the men
Who spend the rates in May,
By stopping all the traffic then
In such a jocose way!
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[Illustration: _Straphanger_ (_in first-class compartment, to
first-class passenger_). "I say, guv'nor, 'ang on to this 'ere strap a
minute, will yer, while I get a light?"]
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THE GAS-FITTER'S PARADISE.--Berners Street.
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CIVIC WIT.--A City friend of ours, who takes considerable interest in
the fattening of his fowls, alleges, as a reason, that he is an advocate
for widening the Poultry.
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TO AUCTIONEERS.--The regulations regarding sales are not to be found in
any _bye_ laws.
* * * * *
POETRY AND FINANCE.--Among all the quotations in all the money market
and City articles who ever met with a line of verse?
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