LONDON BRIDGE AT NIGHT.

Grey River Argus, Volume IV, Issue 269, 3 October 1867, Page 3

LONDON BRIDGE AT NIGHT.

James Greenwood, whose " Night in a Workhouse," contributed to the "Pall Mall Gazette," created a good deal of excitement some time ago, furnished to the London " Evening Star" an account of a visit winch lie was induced to pay to another kind of lodging -—tho resort of the lowest classes of London — the recesses on the parapet of the London bridge. He was told that men and women i*egularly slept there, aud he went to test the truth of the statement. He says : — I came on the bridge from, the city side, and^ just as the churches were chiming two o'clock, I approached the first recess. It was^ empty, save for a pool of rain-waterjplh which the rays from the gas lamps above twinkled. With much satisfaction. l struck a cigar light on. the dry nnderpavt of the granite seat, and once more set my faco towards Southwaik, more as a puuishment for my foolishness in puttiug faith in Mr Policemau, than that I expected to make any discovery. But, alas ! in recess number two it -was my ill fortune to stumble on a cause of quaking for my wager, had I made it, for here, crouching in a corner, nose and knees, and with some rag of a dark color pulled over her head, so that she looked more like a nasty bundle than anything human, was- a wpinan. She was on the seat, and curi^'up on the stone floor was a man, as could be judged by an old boot of full size, with a rent in the side, and a row of adult and dirty toes, that protruded from beneath him, and was shown on by the gas. Otherwise it would have been difficult to have told what creature it was, its hoad being hidden in the woman's lap, and the dork shawl, or cape, or whatever it was, drooping over and covering him. Sixpence would procure the unlucky pair the luxury of shelter and something of a bed, to lie on ; besides, it Avas well worth that small sum to see what sort of a creature the female was, young or old, and to ascei'taiu the relationship existing between herself and the .male creature huddling up to her. I teuched the fjemale with .my umbrella where I guessed her shoulder was, and she instantly disengaged her head from her shawl, and by the same movement exj>osed the face of the man. > The woman's was an old face — wrinkled, and monkeyish ; while the face of the man was almost youthful, but dirty and villainous-lookiug, and surmounted by ajcrop of red hair. c ? You'll catch your death of cold lying out here in the rain," I said. " Why don't you find some shelter ?" I " You be - — !" grumbled the young man with a£ threatening scowl, as he replaced the wet shawl over his head. "I' thought it was the perlice agin !" But the old woman was made of other stuff. Nudging the hulking ruffian to hold his tongue, she said in a whining tone, " and how'd we help layiu' out- here, .kind gentleman, wid never a ha'penny to pay a lodgin', and

me gran'son just out of the faver, an' me siventy-tre an' pasht, God . helpraef " And where are yon going after you have rested ; in the morning, I mean 1" "Hoppin', sure. We've friends to meet at the station, as soon as it is daylight, pi as God : there's a bit o' life in us, come the time, aud me siventytre an' pasht, God help me, an 5 me gran'son — " So I gave Jut the sixpence and enjoined her to get over into the boroiuh aud procure a bed as soon as she could; and she promised that she would, showering more blessings upon me than the sixpence would p.iy for, even at the low rate of a farthing each. But she didn't move- I crossed the dark road to see if the recesses on the other side were tenanted, and looking back, saw by the light of the lamps the old face, and young face grinning with delight ; and presently two short pipes wen* produced, and loaded, and fired, and still, with his head reclining on his grandmother's lap, the surly young fellow composed himself for. a comfortable smoke, on the strength, I suppose, of that unexpected sixpenny wiudfall. In the next reoess I discovered two men occupying opposite corners of the seat. They were not ragged, but were very roughly attired, and each had a sack over his shoulder; and they sat with their backs to the stone side, aud their arms folded, and their caps pulled well down over their ears, evidently resolved to weather it till morning. I thought they were both asleep, but as I halted, one of them raised his read and civilly asked me if I had such a thing as a pipe of "bacca" cm me. It so happened that I had — two pipes, indeed — a fact that very much gratified the man in the other corner, who roused at hearing his mate's voice. " I should have thought that you might have found snugger quarters than these for a night's lodgings," I remarked. " Well, you see, mister, it's handy for Billingsget." " Likewise for the worfs," added his mate. . " But why not sleep in a bed 1 Beds are cheap enough hereabout." " Won't run to it, mister. Come to pick u [> no more'n a bob in the day, you aint got much change left, after you bought a bit of grub and a piece of bacca. > Sides7^l'<i"^o^nW > »sleep^l^re than in them there dirty threepenny, cribs — wouldn't you, Whistler V "Well, it's enough to kill you lying here." " Not it ; we sort of chaps take a heap of killing — don't we, Whistler V " Use is everything," the person addressed sententiously replied. " I aint slept in a bed these two 'ear; and, what's more, I don't hanker arter it." And so, with a bit more bacca and a good night, I left them. The next recess was vacant. In the next I found a young man, decently dressed, as far as the uncertain light revealed, in a suit of black, his coat buttened tight under his chin. His face was remarkably pale, but otherwise, had, it been day-time, nothing extraordinary would have been noticed in him as lie sat on the stone seat nursing one of his feet and nervously grasping the instep of it with one hand, j while the other supported his head. He ' looked like a person suddenly overtaken with illness of a sort just. now prevailing. "I beg pardon, sir," I said ? "but you appear unwell." He started and looked up with an offended air. " I'm- . well enough, thanky," he said ; "it's no , affair of yours, I amagine, if I'h'i not." " It's every man's affair to offer the best he cau to another who seems in need of it; we shan't quarrel about that, I presume." : . " Shan't we ? who says jv r e shan't 1 Why do you pick me out to practice on with your infernal Methodist cant 1 ? Fraps you'd- like to follow me and, continue your sermon 1 Do, if you dare !" And so saying, with a stamp of mad deliance, the strange young gentleman sprang to his feet, and strutted away in the rain. I was near the Surrey side of the bridge by this time, and would have turned to retrace my steps, only that was the way the madman had taken, and he might suppose I was pursuing him with my sermon ; so I went on a little further, and presently came upon a woman kneeling upon a seat, with her arms folded on the top ledge, and her face toward the river. • Her dress was deplorably old and bedraggled, and her shoes a mere mass of black rags and broken leather. She was still enough to be asleep, but could scarcely be so from her position. After my encounter with the last lodger, I was somewhat doubtful whether I might venture to address this one ; but, as it happened, as I loitered past her she turned and addressed me. Bloated, blear-eyed, and with her black hair loose and dabbling on her forehead and | cheeks,- she made the ugliest picture I had met with that evening. " Give us a penny to get a cup of coffee, my dear," said she. "I ain't got a dry thread upon me, strike me blind if I have." " How can you exnect any other if you are abroad such* a night as this?" said I, speaking kindly to the poor wretch. . " What are you doing here 1 Where are you going 1" "To h — ," replied she, with a laugh. " You might see chat, I should think, without asking me \" ■ " You are a foolish woman to talk ! so-; come, take my advice and go.home." - . - "You take my advice and jump over