But when he encountered the
crowd asleep on the steps he was astounded. "Shocking!" he exclaimed.
"Shocking! And of a Sunday morning! A pretty sight! Eigh! eigh! Get
outa that, you bleeding nuisances!"
Of course it was a shocking sight, I was shocked myself. And I should
not care to have my own daughter pollute her eyes with such a sight, or
come within half a mile of it; but--and there we were, and there you are,
and "but" is all that can be said.
The policeman passed on, and back we clustered, like flies around a honey
jar. For was there not that wonderful thing, a breakfast, awaiting us?
We could not have clustered more persistently and desperately had they
been giving away million-dollar bank-notes. Some were already off to
sleep, when back came the policeman and away we scattered only to return
again as soon as the coast was clear.
At half-past seven a little door opened, and a Salvation Army soldier
stuck out his head. "Ayn't no sense blockin' the wy up that wy," he
said. "Those as 'as tickets cawn come hin now, an' those as 'asn't
cawn't come hin till nine."
Oh, that breakfast! Nine o'clock! An hour and a half longer! The men
who held tickets were greatly envied.
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