The broad thoroughfare almost as thronged by night as by day.

Crowds going to theatres, loaded electric cars, whizzing and clanging bells, the elevated railroad rushing and roaring past within hearing, theatre fronts flaming with electric light, announcements of names of theatrical stars and the plays they appeared in, electric light advertisements of brands of cigars, whiskies, breakfast foods, all blazing high in the night air in such number and with such strength of brilliancy that the whole thoroughfare was as bright with light as a ballroom or a theatre.

The vicar felt himself standing in the midst of it all, blinded by the glare.
"Sit down on the sidewalk and read your newspaper, a book, a magazine--any old thing you like," with an exultant laugh.
The names of the dramatic stars blazing over entrances to the theatres were often English names, their plays English plays, their companies made up of English men and women.

G.Selden was as familiar with them and commented upon their gifts as easily as if he had drawn his drama from the Strand instead of from Broadway.

The novels piled up in the stations of what he called "the L" (which revealed itself as being a New-York-haste abbreviation of Elevated railroad), were in large proportion English novels, and he had his ingenuous estimate of English novelists, as well as of all else.
"Ruddy, now," he said; "I like him.