The Project Gutenberg EBook of Miss Philly Firkin, The China-Woman, by
Mary Russell Mitford

This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org

Title: Miss Philly Firkin, The China-Woman

Author: Mary Russell Mitford

Release Date: October 2, 2007 [EBook #22844]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK PHILLY FIRKIN ***

Produced by David Widger

MISS PHILLY FIRKIN, THE CHINA-WOMAN.

By Mary Russell Mitford

In Belford Regis, as in many of those provincial capitals of the
south of England, whose growth and importance have kept pace with the
increased affluence and population of the neighbourhood, the principal
shops will be found clustered in the close, inconvenient streets of the
antique portion of the good town; whilst the more showy and commodious
modern buildings are quite unable to compete in point of custom with the
old crowded localities, which seem even to derive an advantage from the
appearance of business and bustle occasioned by the sharp turnings, the
steep declivities, the narrow causeways, the jutting-out windows, and
the various obstructions incident to the picturesque but irregular
street-architecture of our ancestors.

Accordingly, Oriel Street, in Belford,--a narrow lane, cribbed and
confined on the one side by an old monastic establishment, now turned
into alms-houses, called the Oriel, which divided the street from that
branch of the river called the Holy Brook, and on the other bounded by
the market-place, whilst one end abutted on the yard of a great inn,
and turned so sharply up a steep acclivity that accidents happened
there every day, and the other _terminus_ wound with an equally awkward
curvature round the churchyard of St Stephen's,--this most strait and
incommodious avenue of shops was the wealthiest quarter of the Borough.
It was a provincial combination of Regent Street and Cheapside. The
houses let for double their value; and, as a necessary consequence,
goods sold there at pretty nearly the same rate; horse-people and
foot-people jostled upon the pavement; coaches and phaetons ran against
each other in the road. Nobody dreamt of visiting Belford without
wanting something or other in Oriel Street; and althoug