Creole Sketches/Voices of Dawn
VOICES OF DAWN[1]
A dreadful sound is in his ears. — Job xv, 21.
There have never been so many fruit-peddlers and viand-peddlers of all sorts as at the present time — an encouraging sign of prosperity and the active circulation of money.
With the first glow of sunlight the street resounds with their cries; and, really, the famous "Book of London Cries" contains nothing more curious than some of these vocal advertisements — these musical announcements, sung by Italians, negroes, Frenchmen, and Spaniards. The vendor of fowls pokes in his head at every open window with cries of "Chick-en, Ma-damma, Chick-en!" and the seller of "Lem-ons — fine Lem-ons!" follows in his footsteps. The peddlers of "Ap-pulls!" of "Straw-bare-eries!" and "Black-Brees!" — all own sonorous voices. There is a handsome Italian with a somewhat ferocious pair of black eyes, who sells various oddities, and has adopted the word "lagniappe" for his war-cry — pronouncing it Italianwise.
He advances noiselessly to open windows and doors, plunges his blazing black glance into the interior, and suddenly queries in a deep bass, like a clap of thunder, "Lagniappa, Madam-a! — la-gniap-pa!" Then there is the Cantelope Man, whose cry is being imitated by all the children:
"Cantel-lope-ah!
Fresh and fine,
Jus from the vine,
Only a dime!"
There are also two peddlers, the precise meaning of whose cries we have never been able to determine. One shouts, or seems to shout, "A-a-a-a-ah! She got." Just what "She got" we gave not yet been able to determine; but we fancy it must be disagreeable, as the crier's rival always shouts—"I-I-I!—I want nothing!" with a tremendous emphasis on the I. There is another fellow who seems to shout something which is not exactly proper for modest ears to hear; but he is really only announcing that he has fine potatoes for sale. Then there is the Clothespole Man, whose musical, quavering cry is heard at the distance of miles on a clear day, " Clo-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-ho-se-poles!" As a trilling tenor he is simply marvelous. The "Coaly-coaly" Man, a merry little Gascon, is too well known as a singer to need any criticism; but he is almost ubiquitous. There is also the fig-seller, who crieth in such a manner that his "Fresh figs!" seems to be "Ice crags!" And the fan-sellers, who intend to call, "Cheap fans!" but who really seem to yell "Jap-ans!" and "Chapped hands!" Then there is the seller of "Towwells" and the sellers of "Ochre-A" who appear to deal in but one first-class quality of paint, if we dare believe the mendacious sounds which reach our ears; neither must we forget the vendors of "Tom-ate-toes!" Whose toes? we should like to know.
These are new cries, with perhaps three exceptions; — with the old cries added to the list — the "calas" and the "plaisir" and other Creole calls, we might "spread out" over another column. If any one has a little leisure and a little turn for amusement, he can certainly have plenty of fun while listening to the voices of the peddlers entering his room together with the first liquid gold of sunrise.
THE END
- ↑ Item, July 22, 1881.