Identifier: wandererinlondon00luca (find matches)
Title: A wanderer in London
Year: 1906 (1900s)
Authors: Lucas, E. V. (Edward Verrall), 1868-1938
Subjects: Art -- England London London (England) -- Description and travel
Publisher: New York : The Macmillan company London, Methuen & co.

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invented the romantic possibilities ofnew streets. Dickens needed an odd corner before he setan odd figure in it; the Wilderness, for instance, camebefore Quilp, the Barbican before Sim Tappertit; butStevenson, by simply transferring the Baghdad formulato London, in an instant transformed, say, Campden Hilland Hampstead, even Bedford Park and Sydenham Hill,into regions of daring and delightful possibilities. Afterreading the New Arabian Nights the tamest residenceholds potentialities; and not a tobacconist but may be aprince in disguise, not a hansom cabman but may bear aroving commission to inveigle you to an adventure. In ordinary life to-day, even in London among hermillions, adventures are, I must admit, singularly few, andsuch as occur mostly follow rather familiar lines; but sincethe New Arabian Nights there has always been hope, andthat is not a little in this world. Even without Stevenson I should, I trust, have realisedsomething of the London hansom drivers romantic quality.
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I I IK l,,\l>^ W nil A FAN AFTF.R THK rUTIKK IIV VKLAsyUi;/. IN IIIK W.\I,I.A< K COLLECTION THE ROISLVNTIC CABMAN 21 He is the true Wandering Knight of this city. He doesnot in the old way exactly hang the reins over his horsesneck, but he is as vacant of personal impulse as if he did.His promptings come all from without — not from thehorse, but from the fare. There he sits, careless, motion-less (save for cjuick eyes), apathetic. He may sit thus foran hour, for two, for three, unnoticed; he may be hailedthe next moment. A distant whistle, an umbrella raiseda hundred yards away, and he is transformed into life.He may be wanted to drive oidy to a near station — or toa distant suburb. One minute he has no purpose in hisbrain: the next he is informed by one and one only —to get to St. Pancras or Notting Hill, the theatre or theBank, the Houses of Parliament or Scotland Yard, in theshortest space of time. And this romantic is the servantof everyone who has a shilling — bisho

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