The Portland daily press., 1862-07-26
MISCELLANEOUS.

AMERICAN HoTELsI cannot say that /
like the hotels in these parts, or indeed the
mode of life at American hotels in general
In order that / may not unjustly defame them,
will commence my observations by declar-
ing that they are cheap to those who choose
to practise the economy which they encour-
age. that the viands are profuse in quantity
and wholesome in quality, that the attendance
is quick and unsparing, and that travellers are
never annoyed by that grasping, greedy hun
ger and thirst after francs and shillings, which
disgrace in Europe many English and CONT
mental inns. All this is, as must be admitted,
great praise, and yet do not like the Ameri-
can hotels. One is in free country-so at
least the English traveller is constantly assur-
ed-and and vet in an American inn one can
never do as he likes. A terrific gong sounds
early in the morning, breaking ones sweet
slumbers; and then second gong, sounding
some thirty minutes later, makes you under
stand that you must proceed to breakfast
whether you be dressed or no. You certainly
can go on with your toilet and obtain your
meal after half an hours delay. Nobody ac-
tually scolds you for SO doing, but the break
fast Is, as they say in this country, Through"
You sit down alone, and the attendant stands
Immediately over you. Probably there are
two so standing. They fill your cup the in
slant it is empty. They tender you fresh food
before that which has disappeared from your
plate has been swallowed. They begrudge
you no amount that you can eat or drink; but
they begrudge you single moment that you
sit there neither eating nor drinking. This is
your fate if you are too late, and therefore, as
a rule, you are not late. In that case you
form one of a long row Of eaters who proceed
through their work with solid energy that is
past all praise.
1t is wrong to say that Americans will not
talk at their meals. l never met but few who
would not talk to me, at any rate till | got to
the far West; but have rarely found that they
would address me first. Then the dinner
comes early; at least it always does so in New
England, and the ceremony is much of the
same kind. You came there to eat, and the
food is pressed on you almost dd nduseam.-
But as far as one can see there is no drinking.
In these days, am quite aware that drinking
has become improper, even in England. We
are apt at home TO speak of wine as thing
tabooed, wondering how our fathers lived and
swiled believe that as fact we drink as
much as they did; but nevertheless that is our
theory. l confess, however, that l like wine.
II is very wicked, but it seems to me that my
dinner goes down better with glass of sher-
ry than without it. As a rule l always did get
1t at hotels in America. But had no comfort
with it. Sherry they do not understand at all.
OF course | am only speaking of hotels. Their
claret they get exclusively from Mr. Glad
stone, and looking at the quality, have right
to quarrel even with Mr.. Gladstone's price,
But it is not the quality of the wine that l
hereby intend to subject to ignominy so much
as the want of an opportunity for drinking it.
After dinner, if all that hear be true, the
gentlemen occasionally drop into the hotel bar
and "liquor up" Or rather, this is not done
specially after dinner, but without prejudice as
TO the hour, at any time that may be found de-
sirable. l also have "liquored up" but can
not say that l enjoy the process. do not in
tend hereby to accuse Americans of drinking
much, but maintain that what they do drink,
they drink in the most uncomfortable manner
that the inauguration can devise Anthony
Trollope