The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-06-19
Our British Cousins.

4 loyal American lady, writing from
| London, thus gives her opinion of the
system of "tips" on the European
plan
In addition to the ordinary expenses
of bed and board in Lbndon must be
reckoned large tributb paid to the in.
| iquitous European system of tips" 1t
is strange enoughsto an American, won't
ed to the lavish Eberality of our thea
trical managers, to be obliged to pay
for the programme he uses at the thea
| tire or opera. And also so strange that
probably he will not at first comprehend
it is the daughter ef-the=horse-l -leech look
which the usher who shows him his seat
at the opera or theatre gives him if he
does not voluntarily slip sixpence into
said usher's palm. You cannot inquire
your way in the street; that, in all pro-
liability, the interfogated will not reply,
"I can't describe the way, but I'm just
going there and will show you" That
means a shilling-thirty cents in Amer
can currency, although only twenty-four
cents in American coin. You see one
can take a cab almost as economically
as to inquire the way. The waiter who
brings me a single cup of chocolate in a
cake shop hangs about my presence as
if responsible for the one spoon with
which sip the beverage, till bethink
myself that am in the land of leeches,
and give him his expected tip" If
cross the sire t, filthy wretch darts be-
fore me with astumpof abroom, and, STIR
ring up all the dirt possible in so short
time, to make my passage triumphal
march of dirt1ness, and my raiment like
unto the raiment of the confederate
army in color. stands whining for his
tip. I cannot call cab that another
loafer does not dart forward to open the
door for me, and stand with m0uthful
of curses ready if I fail to render him
tribute of a penny or two. One cannot
go into many of the city churches on
week days, that some one, verger or
pew opener, does not force companion
ship upon you, to the tune of six pence.
It is astonishing that even the low
born Britisher land he is among the
very dregs of civilized humanity is not
ashamed of this everlasting lying in
wait for "tips," like q MARCY cur
sneaking after every wayfarer to snap
up whatever may fall from his store. 1t
is depressing to ones optimistic views
of the dignity of human nature
quenching to ones faith that all charac- |
ter is the evolution of Divine idea, to |
live weeks in this mighty Babylon, and |
to be ble1 at every pore as only the |
base-born BritOn knows how to bleed. |
The cab system of London is quoted |
abroad as the very climax and acme |
of public vehicular perfection. But one |
doesn't realize, till he tries the system, |
that these quotations don't go far |
enough to exhaust the subject. It |
seems exceedingly reasonable to be |
charged but a shilling a mile for cab |
fare but it must be borne in mind |
that, for every English shilling that we
Americans possess, we have paid thirty |
cents of our currency and, moreover, |
that an English cabby's miles, when an
American is his passenger, measure sew
erai furlongs less than a surveyors.
And, moreover, the London cabman
will never touch his finger to your bag
gage, and you are compelled to pay one
porter sixpence Fifteen cents), or a
shilling, if you have more than one
piece, for putting it on the cab, and an
other the same for taking it off, while
cabby, like a sweet little cherub, sits
up aloft, severely Indifferent to your
pangs as you pay out your money for
what an American Jehu would consider
q part of his obligation.
When one leaves a house in which he |
has been eithe~ guest or boarder. the |
gather about his exit as vul- |
lures about carrion, that no one my
miss probable "tips."