London labour and the London poor Volume 3
Henry Mayhew
Paperback
(RareBooksClub.com, Oct. 12, 2012)
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1865 edition. Excerpt: ...at the teetotal festivals. I was at Aylesbury with them, at St. Alban's, Luton, and Gore House. At Gore House last August, when the 'Bands of Hope ' were there, I took about a pound." Blind Profile-cutter. A Cherrful blind man, well known to all crossing Waterloo or Hungerford-bridges, gave me the following account of his figurecutting:--"I had the measles when I was seven, and became blind; but my sight was restored by Dr. Jeffrey, at old St. George's Hospital. After that I had several relapses into total blindness in consequence of colds, and since 1840 I have been quite blind, excepting that I can partially distinguish the sun and the gas-lights, and such-like, with the left eye only. I am now 81, and was brought up to house-painting. When I was last attacked with blindness I was obliged to go into St. Martin's workhouse, where I underwent thirteen operations in two years. When I came out of the workhouse I played the German flute in the street, but it was only a noise, not music, sir. Then I sold boot-laces and tapes in the street, and averaged 5s. a-week by it--certainly not more. Next I made little wooden tobaccostoppers in the street, in the shape of legs--they're called 'legs.' The first day I started in that line--it was in Tottenham-court-road--I was quite elated, for I made half-a-crown. I next tried it by St. Clement's-church, but I found that I cut my hands so with the knives and files, that I had to give it up, and I then took up with the trade of cutting out profiles of animals and birds, and grotesque human figures, in card. I established myself soon after I began this trade by the Victoria-gate, Bayswater; that was the best pitch I ever had--one day I took? 15s., and I averaged 30s. a-week for six weeks. At last...