Old Leaves, Gathered from Household Words Book

OLD LEAVES GATHERED FROM HOUSEHOLD WORDS - 1860 - THE OTHER HAND, WHOBE MASTERLY TOUCHES GAVE TO THE OLD LEAVES HERE FRESHLY GATHERED, TEIEIR BRIGHTEST TINTS, THEY ARE AFFECTIONATELY INSCRIBED. CONTENTS . viii CONTENTS . PAGE 28 . A PLATED ARTICLE .......................................... 325 29 . FORINDIADIRECT .......................................... 336 30 . RECEIVED. A BLANK CHILD ................................... 346 31 . IDIOTS .................................................... 356 32 . A LEGAL FICTION ..................................... ..... 381 33 . PARIS IMPROVED ........................................... 370 34 . TEE NINTH OF JUNE ........................................ 370 35 . THE LAMBETH-MARSH MULCIREFH ............................. 446 36 . THE MANCHESTER SCHOOL OF ART 37 . MY ANTULA ECLIPSE ............................ 452 ..................................... 459 OLD LEAVES. LATE in the afternoon of the 14th of February last past, an individual who bore not the smallest resemblance to a despairing lover, nor, indeed, to a lover in any state of mind, was seen to drop into the box of a Fleet-street receiving-house two letters folded in flaming covers. He did not look round to see if he were observed, but walked boldly into the shop with a third epistle, and deposited thereon one penny. Considering the suspicious appearance of this document-for its envelope was green-he retired from the counter with extraordinary nonchalance, and coolly walked on toward Ludgate-hill. Long paces soon brought him to St. Martins-le-Grand for he strode like a man who had an imminent appointment. Sure enough, under the clock of the General Post-office, he. joined another, who eagerly asked, Have you done it The answer was, I have Very well. Let us now watch the result. Most people are aware that the Great National Post-office in St. Martins-le-Grand is divided into halves by a passage, whose sides are perforated with what is calIed the Window Department. Here huge slits gape far letters, whole sashes yawn for newspapers, or wooden panes open for clerks to frame their large faces, like giant visages in the slides of a Magic Lantern and to answer inquiries, or receive unstamped paid letters. The southern side is devoted to the L0ndo.n District Post, and the northern to what still continues to be called Portion of the papers distinguished throughout the volume by this mark are by another hand. the Inland Department, although foreign, colonial, and other outlandish correspondence now passes through it. It was with the London District Branch that the two gentlemen first appeared to have business. Having been led through a maze of offices and passages more or.less dark, they found themselves-like knights-errant in a fairy tale- in an enormous hall, illumincd by myriads or lights., Without being exactly transformed into statues, or stricken fast asleep, the occupants of this hall whose name was Legion appeared to be in an enchanted state of idleness. Among a wilderness of long tables, and of desks not unlike those on which buttermen perform their active parts of leger- demain in making patsy7-only these desks were covered with black cloth-they were reading books, talking together, man- dering about, lying down, or drillking coffee-apparently quite unused to doing any work, and not at all expectant of ever having anything to do, but die. In a few minutes, and without any preparation, a great stir began at one end of this hall, and a long train of private per- formers, in the highest state of excitement, poured in, getting up, on an immense scale, the first scene in the Miller and his I Men...Read More