Photographic views of Egypt, past and present . tes, the thin cakes which he slapsout with fingers dipped in melted butter; you see the barbershaving, not chins, but heads; you see the veiled womensquatting on the ground beside their little stock of eggs,bread, lentils, onions, and white unsalted butter; and yousee the coffee-shops with their tiny cups all ready for use; —but the merchant princes have not yet come downtown, and their stalls are unopened. You meet no news-boy or letter carrier, but perhaps a janissary, who, if hedoes not look daggers at you, thrusts them out from his beltin for
Photographic views of Egypt, past and present . tes, the thin cakes which he slapsout with fingers dipped in melted butter; you see the barbershaving, not chins, but heads; you see the veiled womensquatting on the ground beside their little stock of eggs,bread, lentils, onions, and white unsalted butter; and yousee the coffee-shops with their tiny cups all ready for use; —but the merchant princes have not yet come downtown, and their stalls are unopened. You meet no news-boy or letter carrier, but perhaps a janissary, who, if hedoes not look daggers at you, thrusts them out from his beltin formidable conjunction with a horse pistol. Later in the day you will find all the little stalls open;but if you would appreciate the scene, imagine Wall streetat one oclock, instead of being thronged with jabberingbrokers and hurrying bank clerks, lined on both sides withgowned and turbaned men sitting on their haunches, beforelittle stalls like that of the soap man who used to stand onthe steps of the Exchange, smoking pipes, drinking coffee,. OCCUPATIONS OF THE PEOPLE. 65 and—not reading newspaper^, but playing chess or draughtswith as much nonchalance as if each man owned the town,while all around the little coffee-shops, or on the divansunder the shade of palm-leaf mats stretched over the street,the retired merchant sits languidly discussing neither stocks,estates, nor politics, but pipes, coffee, and draughts, (notdrafts.) Your constant wonder is how so many lazy peoplecontrive to live; and yet so far as the mere living is con-cerned, they probably understand the art, and take thecomfort of it far better than you. At about five oclock nearly all the little stalls are closed,and the people gone — I dont know where. They are notriding in their carriages, for there are none; they are notwalking in the gardens nor in the promenades, for there arenone; they have not gone to balls, theatres, or concerts, forthere are none; they have not taken the ferry, the railway,or the om
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1850, bookidphotographic, bookyear1856
