Jerry's Side Job-page 159

"With his straw in his mouth, Mr. Cruncher sat watching the two streams, like the heathen rustic who has for several centuries been on duty watching one stream-saving that Jerry had no expectation of their ever running dry.  Nor would it have been an expectation of a hopeful kind, since a small part of his income was derived form the pilotage of timid women (mostly a full habit and past the middle term of life) from Tellson's side to the tides opposite shore.  Brief in such companionship was every separate instance, Mr. Cruncher never failed to become so interested in the lady as to express a strong desire to have the honour of drinking her very good health"(pgs. 159-160).

This passage describes Jerry as someone who escorts people across a stream like the "heathen rustic" god who carries souls over the river (as mentioned in a footnote).  Jerry makes some extra money form being an escort.  In this passage, the stream represents Fleet Street that Tellson's Bank is located on.  The people who constantly rush through the "stream" make up the water in it.  Jerry claims that the "stream never runs dry"; people are always rushing about this street.  This is why Jerry chooses to escort "timid women" across it for a tip so they don;t get run over by mobs of people. 

One question I have is: When the passage says, "from the Tellson's side to the opposite shore", is this simply talking about the road that Tellson's is on?  Or does it have a deeper meaning  such as talking about the different classes of people in different parts of town?