New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1878-09-16

peered into the glass cases containing the
early printed books in the British Museum
Tney shared with him the gilded glories of
the Keble Memorial Church at Oxford. IheY
paced, Just ahead of him, the walls OF Chester
and he recognized their backs as easily
as their faces. They were with MN
upon the banks of the Avon, ana
as he came out of Sir Walter Scotcs
house in Edinburgh, the odds were
that he met one OF more of them going In.
If he fed back to London, there they were IN
the ROYAL Academy, at Windsor Castle, Hamp-
ton Court, the Kew Gardens, the South
Kensington Museum, or climbing the steps OF
that gigantic toy, the Albert Memorial ana
finally he was sea-sick with three OF them IN
the same stateroom, or made desperate efforts
Tn eat with them dinner OF which the uOuDC
wbetherit was worse cooked Orworse served,
or promised TO be worse dIgested II ever IL
was digested at ALL We may as well admit
that we are distinct and peculiar people. Ii
we know each other in foreign lands. the ma
tives also know us. There is something pc
culiar in our frames or our physiogromies' IN
our coats or our dialect. The foolish Aneri-
can who tries to pass himself OIL Tor an Eng
lishman upon shOpkeeDers, or railway porUers'
or cabmen, is detected at once. Inc wise
American knows that in all this there Is nothing
70 be ashamed of \; and in such respect
most Americans are wise. There are many
things IN be learned by crossing the sea ne
GOES but TO little purpose who does not bring
hack n mind stored with pleasant memories
likely to last him lifetime; but he goes 10
less purpose who does not return also Win
warmer affection for his own country ana
greater contentment to abide there quietly Ior
the remainder of his days, with such occasional
excursions as may be necessary for health OF
the acouisition of further knowledge.
Social tastes and habits are so much matters
Of time and custom that it is useless after
certain period of life to endeaV0r 10 chahge
Them. If each returning traveller upon reach
ing his pier were put upon oath rs TO MS I'M
pressions, as he is as to his luggage, he wouiu
nrobably admit that he was glad to get hOme'
and that there were many things I'D
which he considered his own country to
be vastly superior to England. And he Woulu
no in far less danger of committing perjury
in such regard, than in respect to the me
fresh dress which his wife has at the bottom
of her trunk, and which he declares she has
worn several times. 1t is hard to adapt our
selves TO new and strange ways. lie Is 1901
who saws that he has been from Dan to Beer
sbeba. and that all is barrennessj but preJu-
dices apart, he who likes New-Hork
better than London may have good
reason for his preference. 1t is ca
pable of demonstration that In many
matters we have great adyantages-matters
particularly involving the comfort and con-
yenience of travellers. Englishmen, Tor IN
stance. profess to like their railway manage
ment; to an American, accustomed 10
the infinitely better methods of his own coun-
try. the confusion, the plan which leaves the
traveller TO look out for himself and his trunks
the commitment ears, the absence of conductors,
here omnipresent, is simply maddenlng. IL
NAV be said that he Is ignorant, and that ne
yyould become accustomed TO 1t In time. lie
certainly does not become accustomed to 1t
during his few weeks of journeying III Great
Britain. Again, remembering in his hungry
wrath the excellent eating-hOuses OF New
York-not only Demonico's or the Breyoort,
lint n hundred clean and well appointed and
CHEAP places of refreshmcnt scattered over
this city-he may say in his wrath that there
i not n single good restaurant IN LONDON
The magnificent glories of the Criterion he
admits after dining there, but he Will stu
aver that nowhere in all London could he
e,et n dinner at once well cooked and econom-
col He likes the street ears and stages there
M hotter; and at last he loudly declares that
there is but one city in the world worth NV
ing in. and that tho name of that paragon OF
places is New-York.
Heaven forbid that we should contradict
him He may not be altogether right, but he
il not altogether wrong. The old ways are
the best ways for those who have long walked
IN them. But then we should make
many charitable allowances. Home Is
home. How many tired voyagers have
said that, as the spire of Trinity Church,
or its humber fellow of st. Paul's, came IN
sight. The best place is where love is, and
the affections and friendships when alone
make life toerable. There was joy OF Its
kind in going away; but what was that to
the ioy of coming back to grasp the old
friendly hands, to look into the Old
friendly faces, TO listen to the Old
friendly voices, to sit in the old accus-
toned places, and to find real rest after
fbe brief holiday in the Old World The
heart never travels. Goldsmith said 1t long
400. after his weary tramp through Europe, and
mo who wrote "HOme, Sweet HOme" was all
his life n wanderer. These are days in which
hundreds of trembling voices will repeat the
sentiment, and as many hearts be glad that
the wandering is over.
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