The weekly Louisianian. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1872-1882, 1874-07-04
OUR BRITISH COUSINS.

a loyal American lady, writ
; from London, thus gives her op
zion OF the system Of tips on t
European plan:
In addition to the ordinary 6
penses Of bed and board in Lord,
must be reckoned a large tribu
paid to the iniquitou, Europe,
system Of ''tipa." It i, stran,
enough to an American, wonted
the lavish liberality Of our theat,
cal managers, to be obliged to p&
for the programme he uses at Il
theatre or opera. And also g
strange that probably he will not ,
first comprehend it is the dauehte,
ot-the. .horse-leech look which th
usher who shows him his seat at th
opera OF theatre gives him # he doe
not voluntarily slip sixpence int
said usher's palm. You cannot in
quire your way in the street, that, il
all probability, the interrogated vii
not reply, Il can't describe the way
but I'm just going there and vii
show you" That means a sail
ing-thirtY cents in American cur
rency, although only twenty-fou,
cents in American COIN. You SEE
one can take a cab almost as eco
nomically 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 re-
sponsible for the one spoon with
which I sip the beverage, till I be-
think myself that I am in the land
Of leeches, and give him his ex-
pected '6p." I'll cross the street,
& filthy wretch darts before me with
) stump Of a broom. and, stirring
1p all the dirt possible in so short a
lime, to make my passage a trium-
'hal march of dirtness, and my raj
nent like unto the raiment of the
confederate army in color, stands
for his tip. I cannot cali
cab that another loafer does not
art forward to open the door for
10, aud stand with a mouthful of |
nrses ready if I fail to render him
ibute of a penny or two. One
annot go into many Of the city
,urches on week days. that: some
ne, verger or pew opener, does not
rec companionship upon you, to
|e tune Of six pence.
is ASTONISHING that even the low
Urn Britisher >and he is among the
'ry dregs as civilized humanity)is
It ashamed Of this everlasting ly-
6 in wait for "tips," like q NANCY .
+ sneaking after every wayfarer to .
ap up whatever may fall from his {
ore. It is depressing to! ones op-
nistic views Of the: e:dignity Of hu- c
IN nature-quenching to ones
th that all character is the evolu- q
n of a Divine idea, to live weeks S
this mighty Babylon, and to be t
ID at every pore us only the base r
rn Briton knows how to bleed. n
70 cab system Of London is quoted
road as the very climax and acme r
public vehicular perfection. But G
3 doesn't realize, till he tries the n
item, that these quotations don't
far enough to exhaust the sub A
/. 1t seems exceedingly reason v
Q to be charged but q shilling a G
Q for cab fare; but it must be &c,
ne in mind that, every English pi
ling that We Americans possess, m
hare paid thirty cents of our cur A
cy; and, moreover, that an En- it.
b cabby's miles, when an Amer
! is his passenger, measure sew lot
furlongs less than a surveyors. Of
], moreover, the London cabmap co
never touch his finger to your or
gage, and you are compelled to IN
one porter sixpence (fifteen hu
ts). or . shilling, if you have1tu,
. than one piece, for putting it 90,
he cab, and another the same IN
taking it of, while cabby, like a be
et little oherub, sits up aloft,
rely Indifferent to your pangs as rex
pay ont your money for what an
american Jehu would consider . m
Of his obligation. ad