Nights in London

NIGHTS IN LONDON BY THOMAS BURKE Author of Umehouse Nights. NEW YORK HENRY HOLT AND COMPANY 1918 8Y TH SAME AUTHOR LIMEHOUSE NIGHTS TALES or CHINATOWN TWINKLETOES, TO MY MOTHER WHO STILL ENJOYS A NIGHT IN TOWN NOTE These chapters on London life deal almost exclusively wth the period before war, when the citizen was permitted to liw in freedom to develop himself to his finest possibilities, and to pursue happiness as he ww meant to do Since the delights of these happy times have been taken from us, perhaps never to be restored, it ts well that they should be recorded before they arc forgotten, T. P t CONTENTS PAGE NOCTURNAL n AN ENTERTAINMENT NIGHT Round the Halls 27 A CHINESE NIGHT Limehouse 57 A DOMESTIC NIGHT Clap ham Common . . 73 A LONELY NIGHT Kingslcmd Road ... 83 A MUSICAL NIGHT The Opera, the Promenades 95 A JEWISH NIGHT White chap el .... 109 A HAPPY NIGHT Surbiton and Battersea . .119 A WORKERS NIGHT The Isle of Dogs . . 135 A CHARITABLE NIGHT East, West, North, South 157 A FRENCH NIGHT Old Compton Street . . 175 AN ITALIAN NIGHT Clcrkenwell . . . .185 A BASHERS NIGHT Hoxtori 197 A DOWN-STREAM NIGHT Blackwall ., . 207 vii viii CONTENTS PAGE AN ART NIGHT Chelsea 215 A RUSSIAN NIGHT Stepney 225 A SCANDINAVIAN NIGHT Shadwell . . . 237 A SUNDAY NIGHT Anywhere . . . . 249 AT RANDOM 259 NOCTURNAL EVENING From the Circus to The Square Theres an avenue of light Golden lamps are everywhere Prom the Circus to The Square, And the rose-winged hours there Pass like lovely birds in flight. Fiom The Circus to The Square Theres an avenue of light. London yields herself to men With the dying of the day, Let the twilight come, and theft London yields herself to men Lords of wealth or slaves ofpen, We, her lovers, all will say London yields herself to men With the dying of the day.