ONDON—I have a comrade.
His name is Joseph. And like Joseph of old, his coat is of many colours.
The elbows are covered with brown leather patches, grease has stained and blackened the front and sides, while a tear on the shoulder is patched with scarlet tweed, says Mr, Peter Howard in the "Christian Science Monitor,"
Joseph gazes out on life with alert mans had started and were then brown eyes through cheap steel-bombing, rimmed spectacles which have the Many of Joseph's friends were killed appearance of the head lamps of an in this service, Strained the old engine a bit guvnor, Joseph told me. automobile, Joseph is a London taxi driver, I But there you ere, We m: to met him one night when the German put out some of the stuff 'e'd ted, aeroplanes were droning high over our (Hitler is usuálly referred to by Joseph as 'e or *im,) city, Bombs were coming down and the barrage was going up. "I hurried Courage of Taxi Men through the empty streets in my tin hat. for I had an urgent appel Mhe truth is that by the exertions in Chancey Lane. and. courage of the London taxi men.
along the road and stopped, "Where Soon, Joseph's taxi came, fying millions of pounds worth of valuable material was saved, Like the taxi are going, guvnor?" shouted men of Paris who-transported Galli-Joseph, After I had told him he oni's troops and equipment into the said. "Op in, guvnor," gap in the Marne in 1914, and saved the ation. so the taxi men of All in Same Boat London will take their place in his-Joseph drove me to Chancery Lane. tory when the full story of this war When I pulled out my purse to pay, the absolutely refused take one Hard Time in Blackouts penny, "It's on my way ome," said Joseph's taxi has a dent as big as Joseph. and added, "Anyway, were all in this together, guvnor." And a pudding basin in the bonnet, This is the result of his driving over the Joseph chugged off through the blitz.
I have lived many years in thi edge. of a bomb-crater during a blackout a night or two ago. Taxicab city, I have never known a taxi drivers, Joseph tells me are especi-man refuse a fare before. Since that ally liable to blackout mishaps, For might I have used Joseph's taxi many times and rely on him for up-to-date through their intimate knowledge of the highways and byways news about the taxi man's life in of wartime, the morale of the East End our cities they drive. and wriggle of London where Joseph lives, and through the blackout about as quick-the ordinary man's hopes for the have to go at a walking pace, And ly as by daylight, while other drivers future, Uae Tipping is Better if anything drops in the roadway. hole before they can sop, men may drive right 'i Joseph is allowed three gallons of gasoline a day. which enables him to "Bomb Berlin" Brigade drive about 60 miles, Before the war he averaged 120 miles a day in his Berlin" bridge. As we stopped Joseph is a member Vehicle. But since the war began the ace of tipping has increased. Jo traffic block near Liverpool Street Yells tne, So he still earns much the station the other day. Joseph called same in a good week as he did in out to me pointing to a bombed building, "Guvnor, "guvnor—were prewar da: ib 25, The class of people who use taxis Th beginning to give im a bit of it back. more the merrier, that's what I i in London has changed since war say. Cos why, began, Most of the nobs seem to Hin aes why, gaynor? Cos take it shave gone away out 1% London, Joseph says, people in my cal Then the taxi moved on with a now who would never have taken a ork.
Joseph says that for a few taxi before the war, Mothers from the East End with children on their ree! eae pone Ee an -fellowship as lied his trade way out of London and so on, the streets" of Londons New Friendlier people they are somehow Joseph says that comradeship is not too, Don't seem have @s many so strong as it used to be, thou rows nowadays as I used to. guvnor, it returns in full force for a few days They lean out of my window some-after a severe bombing. "We want times and bawl out to me which to Keep that spirit all the time, as way to go, Well as when the war is over, Joseph And Back They Go "Ah, but can we, g 4 Woseph's wife and his three chil-answered Joseph. Then atter a few fidren are evacuees in ghe country, seconds of reflection he added "Anys (They have been to six homes no arm trying. That's what T ye ince war began, Blow me, guvnor, says Joseph, They cant expect the misses and kids to stay away from their own home all that long, As
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.