Vol. VI No. 1 - Modernist Magazines Project

THE BERMONDSEY BOOK
relations between the shopkeeper and the buyer—it will oblige by
selling minute quantities of certain necessaries, and also it does not
insist in every case on immediate cash payment. The larger shops up
the street, branches of the Big Providers, may sell just as cheaply,
and even cheaper in some instances, but they cannot hope to obtain
the affection and cordiality of the customer. The butchers must be
the best liked or the best hated dealers in the Nile. They provide
an overloaded counter of all sorts of dead animals and arrange the
portion of carcases in the most tempting fashion. It's "Buy our lovely
meat" and "all the best to-day" and "we've got the goods," making
a bewildering but wholehearted appeal to the harassed housewife.
There is one red, shock-haired youth who with cheerful but penetrating
voice manages to attract the attention of passers-by. They look at the
viands spread before them, give a closer scrutiny to the price marked
on the ticket and falter hesitantly. They may be making a quick
mental calculation of a certain "cut," but the young man with a reassuring
smile leads them gently to the desired object, and closes a deal.
The shoppers are mostly women, and they hold tightly clutched in
one hand the purse containing the family exchequer. They guard the
sacred treasure with open-eyed vigilance, as if the fortunes of an
Empire depended upon its safe keeping. How they will dole out the
unwilling money to the greedy and avaricious shopkeeper! For all
his bland favours and smirking courtesies he is the direct receiver of
the meagre weekly allowance. However, he cannot be blamed entirely
for the way of things. Also he is a neighbour, and one becomes
familiar and tolerant with neighbours.
The fruit stall keepers do not appear in such an ill light as the
grocers or the butchers. They have all their stock arranged in neat
partitions on the barrows. The fruit is cheap enough and there is almost
a complete uniformity in prices along the line of stalls. The housekeeper
must .be cheered by the sight of all this pleasant looking
and inexpensive produce from orchards far and near. Money
spent on fruit must be given with a better face, than money
spent on candles or soap. It is a touch with Nature to buy her
gifts. The fruit barrows occupy a prominent enough position "down
the Nile." Starting right from the top of the street as it joins the
East Road with its clattering trams, they stretch till where there is a
narrowing of the roadway. Overloaded stalls bearing all the season-
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