Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1872-12-10
OUR ENGLISH LErTBR.
n: WIsoHELsEAs SUISSE Ese1ANp,

Few things connected with heightened
solournfin country like England, are more
striking than the 1home-like feeling which;
springs up almost spontaneously such is the
strange faculty of assimilation possessed in
various degrees by all of us; growth SO to
speak, into our surroundings or rather of our
surroundings upon US. But to leave the abs.
stract and general for the concrete and special.
this is well exemplified in the matter of
dialect
Before proceeding further upon this point
yonr correspondent will crave indulgence for
making statements which appear unduly per-
sonal: he urges that it cannot he subject of
indifference to the people of Jefferson that
their attention should be called to something
very closely concerning themselves, something
too of which they have perhaps never
before been reminded. It has to do with
the style and character of the English thew
speak from an Englishman's point of view
When it is borne in mind that the typical
specimen from which their judgement has
been formed is after all but an imperfect rep
resentative, they may fairly congratulate them.
selves upon speaking their mother tongue
very respectfully indeed.
During a residence of nearly five wears in
England and within that period having trav.
eled extensively up and down the country.
conversing with numbers of persons in rails
way carriages and other public places, your
correspondent never remembers once having
been taken for an American. This NAV in
great measure have been due TO the absence
of the nasal twapg which every Englishman
makes up his mind to find in every American.
The American travelling public in England is
almost exclusively composed of those who live
north of Mason's and Dixon's line, hence the
keen scent after the twang. In travelling on
the Continent of Europe he has been amused
at meeting fellow conntrymen who addressed
him as being one 'sof you English people" and
what is still better upon landing in New York
after four years abroad, some sharners en-
deavored to take him in as ssa new English
man."
Your readers may fairly begin to grow i'm.
patient at such digression upon personalities
and look for something worthier their atten-
ton. So many subjects for thoughtful inter-
est suggest themselves, that it is difficult to
know where to beg lin: it may not be amiss to
touch lightly upon one or two matters relative
to English public life.
Parliament is now out of session. but its
members are making themselves heard amongst
their constituents through the media of what
we call "stump speeches." and as these gem
orally take place after dinner when English
men of all other people are most communica.
tive, the result is that many of the columns
OF the press. which otherwise would have
chronicled the proceedings of Parliament, are
pretty we'll filled with these post prandial de-
liveries; the element familisrly known as
"bumcombe" on our side Of the water is by no
means foreign one, and you get but few
orr pf yrhoak =
tect,ve, from great quantities of such chat.
Inc burden OF most OF them. is adverse criti-
cism, or in palmer aud more appropriate Eng.
ilsh' grumblins at the policy of the governs
ment on the one side; upon the other full
some adulation and grandiloquent boas,ings
of what the party in power mean to accom-
plish. Such questions as the Geneva Arbi-
tration, the Ballot Bill just come into operas
ton, Irish Education, besides host of other
measures to be carried through, next session.
have been most ventilated of late. The Eng.
fish, as rule, are little sore upon the first
named point; but they may justly pride them.
selves on getting clear at SO trivial cost to
the national purse. which, says Lord Selborne.
the new Lord High Chancellor, in recent
speech, has suffered, and not the national
honor. The San Juan question occasioned
considerable talk very recently and much
grumbilng: Apropos of this capital car
toon appeared in Punch of last week entitle
Humble Pie" Scene-coffee> room of an
inn: John Bull, burly and beefy, after the
regular conventional type, sits before a table
waiting for his dinner. Enter head waiter.
representing Mr. Gladstone-and udicrous
carlcature the thing s-bearjng dish labelled
"San Juan" The following colloquv takes
place: Mr.. Bull" tumble Pie again Wil>
liam, You gave me that yesterday" Head
walter-'Yes Sir, that were Geneva Humble
Pie this is Berlin Humble Pie:' thus YOU
see how John Bull swallows his choler and
digests his spleen with good natured laugh.
1t will surprise some of your readers to
learn what regulates if not mainly, at least to
a great extent, the months during which Par
Lament sits. 1t may be pithily expressed,
with great deal more truth than is to be
found in many like sweeping assertions, that
the Brton when he can neither shoot, fish
nor hunt, betakes himself to his club in Lon
don and his seat in Parliament, if he possesses
one. This hence is generally the latter part
of the winter, the spring and the early sum-
mtr months. Grouse shooting begins on the
18th of August and every effort is strained to
adjourn both Houses before that date, when
there Is a general exodus TO the Moors of Scot
land; should adjournment not have taken
place NJ. P.'s pair off according to parties)
like the grouse they go to shoot and make for
the North. In recent speech Mr.. Lowe,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer, alluded to
"that August assembly whose members are
scattered through different quarters of the
globe, and engaged doubt not u DESTROYING
different classes of animals" The sporting
instincts of the Englishman penetrate the
inermost fbres of his character: This great
Parliament adjourned, though probably for the
first time uuder protest of minority, for the
great Derby Day.
As the 9Th of November mas but Jus,
passed by, it may be we'll to note few things
respecting it as grand holiday of olden times
in England Its observance is fast dying out.
and ere long it will only linger in few remote