21 / 222
6
long be effected.
W h en the town shall b e , as,
a fter deferring from y e a r to y ear, it is now finally
decided it shall b e , supplied w ith pure w a ter and
w ith pro p er se w e ra g e ; w hen its streets shall be
lighted w ith gas, and its foot-w ays flag g e d ; w hen
those abom inable n u isa n c e s, th e open d u st-carts,
w hich prow l ab o u t th e tow n from m orning until
night, shall be a b o lish e d ; w hen th e ram p a rts shall
be levelled and a freer ventilation adm itted — then
will Copenhagen be not only a m ore h e a lth y , b u t
a m ore beau tiful c ity , able to vie in every respect
w ith the other capitals of E urope.
B u t, as the p avem ent is y e t m ost te rrib le , it
m ay be well for strangers to bear in m ind a
regulation for p ed estrian s: T h e fo o t-w ay is edged
w ith a k e rb -sto n e, w hich,
with the road on the
riyht hand
,
the pedestrian is entitled to keep
against all com ers, unless g allan try p rom pts him to
give w ay to la d ie s, w hen the adage is rev ersed
and "th e strongest goes to th e w all.” So tenacious
are th e people o f this "rig h t,” th a t n either m an in
buckram nor m an in livery w ill yield it to the
finest g entlem an; th e p easan t w ill tu rn off the
p rin c e , and the fish-fag the princess.
With the
road to the le ft
, the rule is of course the
c o n tra ry : you m ust then su rren d er the kerb to
every one you m eet, gentle or sim ple: an attem p t
to m aintain it ag ainst an im pertinent ap p ren tice