Twice round the clock; or, The hours of the day and night in London . w Street chariot of disgrace, of whichthe refrain is— Sing Wentilator, separate cell,Its long, and dark, and hot as locked-up doors—git out if you can,Theres a crusher outside the prisoners wan I A crusher, or policeman, there is indeed, not only in the littlewatch-box on the exterior, to which I have alluded, but in the narrowcorrider between the cells into which the carriage is divided in theinterior. It is the former functionarys duty to keep the outer doorsecurely locked; the latter to take care that no communi
Twice round the clock; or, The hours of the day and night in London . w Street chariot of disgrace, of whichthe refrain is— Sing Wentilator, separate cell,Its long, and dark, and hot as locked-up doors—git out if you can,Theres a crusher outside the prisoners wan I A crusher, or policeman, there is indeed, not only in the littlewatch-box on the exterior, to which I have alluded, but in the narrowcorrider between the cells into which the carriage is divided in theinterior. It is the former functionarys duty to keep the outer doorsecurely locked; the latter to take care that no communication takesplace between the passengers confined in this penal omnibus, eitherthrough the ventilators on the roof, or by talismanic tappings at thepanels which divide them. When the hour of departure arrives, you see the pavement andcarriage-wray of Bow Street studded with a choice assemblage of theraggedry, ruffianry, felonry, misery, drunkardry, and drabbery, whomthe infamous hundred of Drury, and the scarcely less infamous tithing 216 TWICE ROUND THE THE FASHIONABLE CLUB, AXB THE PRISONERS VAN. 217 of Covent, have cast out into a thoroughfare which, two hours hence,will be re-echoing to the wheels of carriages bearing noble lords andladies to listen to the delicious Bosio (alas !) in the Traviata, or theenchanting notes of Tamberlik in Otello. London is full of violentcontrasts; but this is the grimmest in the whole strange , the warder in the watch-box has descended from his perch, andwith a patent key opened the portal of the van, revealing a secondjanitor inside. And now the passengers destined for the lugubriousjourney come tumbling out of the court door, and down the stepstowards the van. Some handcuffed, some with their arms folded, ortheir hands thrust in their pockets in sullen defiance; some hidingtheir faces in their grimy palms for very shame. There are women aswell as men, starved sempstresses, and brazen courtezans in tawdryfinery. Ther
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Keywords: ., bookauthormcconnel, bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookyear1859
