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all real and rational； and not some glimpse of fairyland。 This I cannot
succeed in doing； and it is better so。 I much prefer to believe that all this
pomp； and vanity； and show； and mumbo…jumbo foolery has come from
fairyland； than to believe it the performance of sane and sensible people
who have mastered matter and solved the secrets of the stars。
Princes and princelings； dukes； duchesses； and all manner of coroneted
folk of the royal train are flashing past； more warriors； and lackeys； and
conquered peoples； and the pagent is over。 I drift with the crowd out of
the square into a tangle of narrow streets； where the public…houses are a…
roar with drunkenness； men； women； and children mixed together in
colossal debauch。 And on every side is rising the favourite song of the
Coronation：…
〃Oh！ on Coronation Day； on Coronation Day； We'll have a spree； a
jubilee； and shout； Hip； hip； hooray； For we'll all be marry； drinking
whisky； wine； and sherry； We'll all be merry on Coronation Day。〃
The rain is pouring down。 Up the street come troops of the
auxiliaries； black Africans and yellow Asiatics； beturbaned and befezed；
and coolies swinging along with machine guns and mountain batteries on
their heads； and the bare feet of all； in quick rhythm； going slish； slish；
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slish through the pavement mud。 The public… houses empty by magic；
and the swarthy allegiants are cheered by their British brothers； who return
at once to the carouse。
〃And how did you like the procession； mate？〃 I asked an old man on a
bench in Green Park。
〃'Ow did I like it？ A bloomin' good chawnce； sez I to myself； for a
sleep； wi' all the coppers aw'y； so I turned into the corner there； along wi'
fifty others。 But I couldn't sleep； a…lyin' there an' thinkin' 'ow I'd worked
all the years o' my life an' now 'ad no plyce to rest my 'ead； an' the music
comin' to me； an' the cheers an' cannon； till I got almost a hanarchist an'
wanted to blow out the brains o' the Lord Chamberlain。〃
Why the Lord Chamberlain I could not precisely see； nor could he； but
that was the way he felt； he said conclusively； and them was no more
discussion。
As night drew on； the city became a blaze of light。 Splashes of
colour； green； amber； and ruby； caught the eye at every point； and 〃E。 R。；〃
in great crystal letters and backed by flaming gas； was everywhere。 The
crowds in the streets increased by hundreds of thousands； and though the
police sternly put down mafficking； drunkenness and rough play abounded。
The tired workers seemed to have gone mad with the relaxation and
excitement； and they surged and danced down the streets； men and women；
old and young； with linked arms and in long rows； singing； 〃I may be
crazy； but I love you；〃 〃Dolly Gray；〃 and 〃The Honeysuckle and the Bee〃…
…the last rendered something like this：…
〃Yew aw the enny； ennyseckle； Oi em ther bee； Oi'd like ter sip ther
enny from those red lips； yew see。〃
I sat on a bench on the Thames Embankment； looking across the
illuminated water。 It was approaching midnight； and before me poured
the better class of merrymakers； shunning the more riotous streets and
returning home。 On the bench beside me sat two ragged creatures； a man
and a woman； nodding and dozing。 The woman sat with her arms
clasped across the breast； holding tightly； her body in constant playnow
dropping forward till it seemed its balance would be overcome and she
would fall to the pavement； now inclining to the left； sideways； till her
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head rested on the man's shoulder； and now to the right； stretched and
strained； till the pain of it awoke her and she sat bolt upright。 Whereupon
the dropping forward would begin again and go through its cycle till she
was aroused by the strain and stretch。
Every little while boys and young men stopped long enough to go
behind the bench and give vent to sudden and fiendish shouts。 This
always jerked the man and woman abruptly from their sleep； and at sight
of the startled woe upon their faces the crowd would roar with laughter as
it flooded past。
This was the most striking thing； the general heartlessness exhibited on
every hand。 It is a commonplace； the homeless on the benches； the poor
miserable folk who may be teased and are harmless。 Fifty thousand people
must have passed the bench while I sat upon it； and not one； on such a
jubilee occasion as the crowning of the King； felt his heart…strings touched
sufficiently to come up and say to the woman： 〃Here's sixpence； go and
get a bed。〃 But the women； especially the young women； made witty
remarks upon the woman nodding； and invariably set their companions
laughing。
To use a Briticism； it was 〃cruel〃； the corresponding Americanism was
more appropriateit was 〃fierce。〃 I confess I began to grow incensed at
this happy crowd streaming by； and to extract a sort of satisfaction from
the London statistics which demonstrate that one in every four adults is
destined to die on public charity； either in the workhouse； the infirmary； or
the asylum。
I talked with the man。 He was fifty…four and a broken…down docker。
He could only find odd work when there was a large demand for labour；
for the younger and stronger men were preferred when times were slack。
He had spent a week； now； on the benches of the Embankment； but things
looked brighter for next week； and he might possibly get in a few days'
work and have a bed in some doss…house。 He had lived all his life in
London； save for five years； when； in 1878； he saw foreign service in
India。
Of course he would eat； so would the girl。 Days like this were
uncommon hard on such as they； though the coppers were so busy poor
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folk could get in more sleep。 I awoke the girl； or woman； rather； for she
was 〃Eyght an' twenty； sir；〃 and we started for a coffee… house。
〃Wot a lot o' work puttin' up the lights；〃 said the man at sight of some
building superbly illuminated。 This was the keynote of his being。 All
his fife he had worked； and the whole objective universe； as well as his
own soul； he could express in terms only of work。 〃Coronations is some
good；〃 he went on。 〃They give work to men。〃
〃But your belly is empty；〃 I said。
〃Yes；〃 he answered。 〃I tried； but there wasn't any chawnce。 My age
is against me。 Wot do you work at？ Seafarin' chap； eh？ I knew it
from yer clothes。〃
〃I know wot you are；〃 said the girl； 〃an Eyetalian。〃
〃No 'e ayn't；〃 the man cried heatedly。 〃'E's a Yank； that's wot 'e is。 I
know。〃
〃Lord lumne； look a' that；〃 she exclaimed； as we debauched upon the
Strand； choked with the roaring； reeling Coronation crowd； the men
bellowing and the girls singing in high throaty notes：…
〃Oh！ on Coronation D'y； on Coronation D'y； We'll 'ave a spree； a
jubilee； an' shout 'Ip； 'ip； 'ooray； For we'll all be merry； drinkin' whisky；
wine； and sherry； We'll all be merry on Coronation D'y。〃
〃'Ow dirty I am； bein' around the w'y I 'ave；〃 the woman said； as she
sat down in a coffee…house； wiping the sleep and grime from the corners of
her eyes。 〃An' the sights I 'ave seen this d'y； an' I enjoyed it； though it
was lonesome by myself。 An' the duchesses an' the lydies 'ad sich gran'
w'ite dresses。 They was jest bu'ful； bu'ful。〃
〃I'm Irish；〃 she said； in answer to a question。 〃My nyme's
Eyethorne。〃
〃What？〃 I asked。
〃Eyethorne； sir； Eyethorne。〃
〃Spell it。〃
〃H…a…y…t…h…o…r…n…e； Eye