Wilmington daily commercial., 1873-08-01
FIRST EDITION.
EUROPEAN CORRESPONDENCE.
FROM TIE Rhine.


We had, too. but we have now been made ac
quainted with it through all the five senses. yee
even through the sixth if possible 30 thoroughly
are we permeated with sense OF It's presence
We will doubtless bring some OF it home with
us, for it sticks, "closer than brother"
Oh this money 1t is enough to turn the heads
of the people to calculate it, No wonder they
are stupid and can't understand a Christian
| tongue i'll any dialect. | know why-they are
preoccupied counting ptennigs, and grochens,
and gulden and thalers and turning tnem into
| French English aud Austrian. AS to the Amer
lean system they just shrug their shoulders and
| laugh, and say they cant learn it, but they cal
culate the fractional values. and exchange all Eu-
| ropean coin with remarkable quickneas, always
| making the exchange in their own favor, no.
tice. As we spend but about one day and night
| in any one place, and az the countries are so
small that we cross a new boundary every day.
aud they all have a different currency, you may
| imagine that our time is pretty we'll occupied in
learning to know and count the moneys of the
| various places we come to, and just as we learn
we have to forget, and start new system. We
are becoming quite proficient however, and think
we will be able to go into the Foreign exchange
business when we go home, or write new page
In the arithmetic
III picture store, last night, we came across
three frantic Englishmen, growing red in the
face I'D their vain endeavors to make the shop
Keeper understand that they wanted postage
stamps. The moment they us they rushed
forward saying do speak to this man in liz hown
'ateful tongue" but we were but little more sue
cessful, only getting them sent of to the Post
Office for the stamps. They said ''the money Ia
France is 'orrbe, we found it habominable in
Italy and ere il is beastly and what with the
Dutch jargon, we'll 60 crazy II We don't get back
to Hengland soon." So they putfed and blowed
and went Off
This running about by ourselves is rare fun.
aud we learn more and see more by half than
When stuck up 80 prim with decorons party
and guide. Ii is a little odd too, to be ont IN
the narrow, crooked streets of Brussels and
Cologne, and not have the slightest idea where
to find your hotel, and even to forget the street
it IL in, and not to be able to make people uE-
derstand you. l do believe we walked miles
among the Cretan labyrinths of Brussels within
a few hundred yards of the Hotel de Ia Poste,
following these directions; 1.-The second street
to the right then the third to the left" and
given every two minutes in French, German,
Dutch, and mixture of all
Then the peculiar mistakes that or they or
both and altogether make are laughable we go
TO see Rubens' birth place, and find a scolding
woman with red arms akmbo who insists that
we shall drink beer She knows nor cares moth
ing about paintings nor painters but this is |
"wlrthshaft' and drink we must. Some OF us
do not, however but notice the heavy beams of |
the high ceiling, plastered and some old and de- |
faced pictures. once good of some Flemish artist
aud look out of the tall window where Marie de |
Medcis looked her last upon the world. Some |
relics of her hang in a glass case against the |
wall, and Latin inscription says that there |
was born the great painter, Rubens."
This house ia an exception, however TO the /
general rule. 30 far as We have seen The peo-
pie seem to hold everything as sacred almost that
belonged or was III and way connected with their L
great men, Their reverence for genius Is re-
markable They put up bronze or marble sta
tue of all their poets, painters and musicians
and hold their memory very dear, feeling a
national pride in their achievements. We see |
here, too, the love OF flowers, 80 noticeable
among the poor people of Scotland and England.
We have not sat down to table that has not had |
flowers on 1t either growing or Gu. in boquets.
The wealthy classes encourage his love by hold |
ing fairs frequently, and Offering premiums, rs
they do at our Horticultural exhibitions. The
flower show at Alton Towers was only one of
number held during the summer, and l never
saw such roses, tuchsias and verbenas, not even |
excepting the large roses of California. The |
display there was not 30 very extensive being all
C comprised in one tent, with table arranged in
the form OF u cross, round which we passed in
order, going IN at one door and out at another
close by it. There was no crowdlng nor confu-
sion. The music and the promenading and eat
ing were all outside under the trees, and it was
q beautiful sight, just such as we road about OF
the English holidays when all the family with
the lunch and the baby coach go to the country
and enjoy free day, and drink beer-more's the
pity. l did not see any one intoxicated, but l
certainly never before saw 80 many bottles
empty and broken lying ON the clean grass, which
thought must feel outraged. The pretty
English girls and the round-faced young men
,hatted together and laughed just they do at
home, and the flags waved-Blitish and Ameri-
,an together-and the full brass band played and
peat and thumped - God Save the Queen and
. Yankee Doodle, " God Bless the Prince OF
Wales and" Star Spangled Banner" in quite
IN impartial manner, the red-coated musicians
,trutting and putting in a very grand way Some
ave thousand people were scattered through
hose magnificent grounds that day many Of
hem, perhaps most OF them attracted by the de-
IRE to see 30 many Americans together but
everywhere and always the greatest courtesy was
observed. II one thing more than another is |
observable as distinctive feature of all the 30
'ety that we have seen in Europe, 80 far, it is |
he pOt,teness Of The people, The gentle courtesy
hown us by all classes, and on. every occasion,
md in every country we have been, cannot be
Exceeded.
l fear to compare the manners OF our streets, ,
I awkward foreigners speaking the poorest jar /
son OF our tongue, were constantly to assail the
Iassers with questions as to home and where to |
20 to find any place-as we do herewith the
lind respectful attention which we receive. +.
There is nothing obseuuious in it, neither is it
'btlusive. They seem to feel kindly toward US, .
md to be glad to help u.s. from the group of ele-
,antly dressed gentlemen to the servant girl I'LL
ng her pail from the street pump. II one can
lot understand word of English and shakes his
read deprecatlngly, another passing by, comes ,
o the rescue and makes one or two words do |
great deal of service, and then passes quietly on.
10 Belgium they spoke French almost altogeth- 4
r., and suppose had French manners some
What, at least the young lady who acted as cha
lerone in the Chamber of Representation in r
5russes, and who explained not only the pictures !
md the building. but the whole system of the =
and appeared to know about ours :
quite as well or better than ourselves, could not !,
ave been excelled in graceful dignity and gem
le sauvity by a Duchess. youth occupying
he same position i'll the Antwerp Cathedral had =
he manners and the bearing of the most culti- \
lated Engshmen, united with quickness of -
and naive sprightliness which made i,
NEST agreeable impression. Had they not a
10Th held out their hands in such trustful way l.
should have been ashamed at Offering either
VI them fee, but they took the small amount
which ''only our generosity" prescribed, with
much gratitude, and as much matter of-course
ir as If they had been beggars.
That day at Alton was interesting in other -
espects besides the excellent opportunity it y
ave of mingling with the people, and observing
heir cuatoms, which, to me- is the most yalua-
lie and interesting result of travel
The Earl of Shrewsbury owns one of the /
andsomest baronal estates in Great Britain L
he most hansome perhaps, except Chatsworth, v
o we are told and indeed imagine nothing | Y
more elegant than the palace and its furniture, l
or finer than the park and gardens. Central
lark, in New York, has no such Iue views as the
me from the Gothic tower overlooking the N
ountain in the valley at Alton, and the view A
rom the dining-room windows ls superb. N
The grounds are extensive too; hundreds of A
cres are enclosed and kept in such perfect or
er that spear OF grass would hardly dare lift v