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Lights and Shadows of London Life, by the Author of 'lost Sir Massingberd'.
Lights and Shadows of London Life by the Author of 'lost Sir Massingberd' Author:James Payn General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1867 Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select from more than a million book... more »s for free. Excerpt: If Mr. Frith had lived in them, they would not have lacked all memento as they now do. How admirably would he have secured for us for ever that splendid national scene, the Departure of the Mail from St. Martin's-le-Grand -- a spectacle that will never more be seen of men. With the drivers of a railway train, it is impossible that the general public (with the exception of such gentlemen of fashion as Mr. Wyndham, with whom engine-driving was a relaxation) can have much personal acquaintance; but with the Kailway Guards it is different. I heard at least a score of people remark upon the fidelity with which Mr. Frith had reproduced the features of the Great Western officials. From what rank of life, I wonder, do those courteous and intelligent persons come? They have not the somewhat broad joviality of the old scarlet-coated mail- guards, who, like their brethren of the box, were a little spoiled by the flatteries of the public, but they are always good-natured and attentive; whilethe porters present a remarkable contrast, in their gratuitous civility, to the harpies who were wont to take charge of the luggage of the unhappy traveller by the mail-coach. Oh, shades of "Boots" extortionate (from whom, as I believe, must have arisen the word Booty, spoil of the traveller), into what limbo have you fled, now that "every charge for attendance is included in the hotel-bill ?" No more, at parting, shall you stand, with cap in hand -- pretending to wipe your brow bedewed with labour on account of that little carpet-bag of ours -- and bid us, with sycophantic smile, to "remember" you. We deemed it, in those days...« less