56 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



from Normandy. The colour of both is at first buff, but rapidly 

 changes to a dark brown. There are some buildings of red 

 sandstone, of a little lighter colour than that now so much 

 used in New York. In buildings mainly of brick, stone is 

 used more considerably than with us ; and there are none of 

 those equivocating, sanded-wood parapets, porticos, steps, &c. ; 

 all is the real grit. The bricks are mottled, half red and half 

 greyish yellow ; the effect, at a little distance, being as I said 

 a yellow or greyish red, much pleasanter than the bright red 

 colour of our Eastern brick. Every thing out of doors here 

 soon gets toned down, as the artists say, by the smoke. Per 

 haps it is partly on this account that pure white paint is never 

 used ; but the prevailing taste is evidently for darker colours 

 than with us. The common hues of the furniture and fitting 

 up of shops, for instance, is nearly as dark as old mahogany. 

 This gives even the dram-shops such a rich, substantial look, 

 that we can hardly recognise them as of the same species as 

 our tawdry &quot; saloons,&quot; that are so painted, gilded, and bedi 

 zened to catch flies with their flare. There are no -&quot;oyster 

 cellars,&quot; but oysters &quot; raw and in the shell,&quot; are exposed in 

 stands about the street, like those of our &quot; hot corn,&quot; and 

 apple w r omen. Liquor shops, always with the ominous sign 

 of &quot; Vaults&quot; are very frequent, and often splendid. The tea 

 and coffee shops are among the richest in the streets. The 

 bakers fronts are also generally showy, and there are a great 

 many of them. It seems to be the general custom, for poor 

 families at least, to make their own bread, and send it in to 

 them to be baked. The first night we were ashore, we got 

 some bread and butter, and American cheese, at a baker s;, 

 and saw in ten minutes a dozen loaves called for. They had 

 sheet-iron checks, with numbers on them, which were given 

 up on the presentation of a corresponding check, and, for a 

 loaf of ten or twelve pounds, a penny for baking in the 



