The anti-monopolist. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1874-1878, 1874-11-19
The Danbury Man Abroad.

Mr.. Bailey, in his last letter, has tn
following on the habits of the English
HOW THE BRIToN SAYS GRACE.
There is an accompaniment to eacf
zeal which strikes stranger most for
ibly. 1t is their way of saying grace
They are the suddenest people in thi:
respect that ever saw, and have a way
of firing off their gratitude which is
most startling: The text IS something
like this: For what we are about t.
receive make us truly thankful, and
this, by some families, is slid in most
unexpectedly, and it has come so rap.
idly and so abruptly that have occa.
s'onal'y missed it entirely. hearing only
the word about preceded and fol.
lowed by a subdued whistling. There
being no abatement in the work Of the
table at the time, tended to make the
impression less distinct. The giving of
thanks, where it is the custom, at the
end of the meal, has frequently cut off
a mouthful Of food, so swift and unos
tentatious has been its coming; and
the conversation and happy laughter
flowed along with scarcely break in
its current, and those who were TO fin
ish did SO, and everybody felt content
ed and looked edited.
This is quite in contrast to our New
England fashion of doing grace. l have
sat under grace which froze the gravy,
irretrievably damaged the the mutton,
and imbued the greater part of the
guests with the gloomiest forebodings !;
in which the African and the South
Sea Islander were looked after and Sc
cured beyond harm; and all political
cabals were taken under the fifth rib,
completely dunn bounded, and their evil
Vaccinations scattered to the four
winds of heaven. II was fine per-
formance and good thing for humanity
at large. but it made the dinner look
| sick.
NOT oSTENTATIoUs.
The English are as unost entatious in
their names as in other things. John
is the common male and Jane is the
popular female cognomen. l begin to
think that nearly all the female SER
wants are called "Jane.' | am not
sure there is not an act Of Parliament
to that effect. The term servant is
used in broader sense than in our
country. The employees of a company
are called servants" whether they are
at the head or foot of the list. Imagine
an American railway ticket seller called
a servant. But it is too dreadful to
think of, and, fortunately, no one
would dare do it.
| THE HINGLIsH HI-GLAsS.
We exceed the English in building
cars, but they completely distance US
in wearing an eye-glass. 1t is not a
double glass, understand. but a single
disc with silver or gold rim, and Sc
cured by cord about the neck, from
which it bangles when not in use. 1t is
worn only by the English exquisite,
and ne generally dons it as he asks a
question, or on entering room where
there is anybody to see him. Some
times 1t is suddenly pu. up without any
| apparent provocation. | imigine that
it is worms. The wearer has baggy
costume, parts his hair in the middle,
and has in his face an expression of
mild idiocy, which is muchlstrengthened
by the glass.
| He wears it in the expression just be.
tween the bridge Of the nose and the
brow Of the eye. He places it there
without any effort, and holds it by a
slight depression of the brow. He
could carry it more easily under his
arm. but he prefers wearing it as de-
scribe, where it rides as calmly and
peaceably as a babe on its mothers
breast, or wet dog on clean oil
cloth. Initiative Americans vainly
strive to capture the fashion. There
was one young man from Marlborough,
Mass, stopping in London last summer.
who devoted three whole months. but
in vain, to make an eye-giass stay in
his eye. I could always tell when he
failed, by hearing him howl and swear
and kick the furniture. At the end of
the three months he went home. as
both his time and money were exhaust
cd. When his room was cleaned, two
full quarts Of damaged eyeglasses were
gathered up.
GREAT BgITAISoUs HABITS.
Although the English chew but little
tobacco, they consume great quantities
of the weed in smoking and shutting.
have seen number of young people
addicted to the latter habit. | don't
care who snutfs if he will only keep
away from my victuais. In many Of
the old-fashioned English inns snuff.
boxes or snuff-horns are to be found in
the smoking-rooms, from which the
guest helps himself without charge.
The same inns keep . stock Of long
stemmed clay pipes on hand for the use
Of patrons. Clay pipes are in such ia
vor here that some of them are digni-
fed with an amber mouth-piece.
1t is marvellous the amount of soda
water that is consumed here. But it is
nearly all bottled. I have seen less
than half dozen soda water fountains
in the past summer. | don't suppose
they can afford the ice to run them.
The soda water comes in bottles as we
have it. but it is plain soda. as devoid
Of favoring as a billiard bail is devoid
OF whiskers. 1t is used largely with