Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1880-02-18
From oar Regular CorresPonlent-l
Our European Letter.
LONDON. Eng. Feb. I. Is

There is but very little Of Interest going
On in London st present. excep: in the
political line. and As you have enough
- booms at home / shall not add misery
to misery. The city is empty. Hunting
men are taking advantage of the abdiea-
lion OF king frost and the clubs are
empty and almost deserted. Talking Of
clubs. came across the :" Farmers and
Country Gentleman's Almanac for 1850"
in which read under the heading Of
London Clubs, some items of informa-
ton new to me. l an told that among
the clubs Of the services IS the q" Civil and
United Service "a large new elub-in
Regent street l am not aware of its
existence, although l am tolerably well
acquainted both with Regent street and
the clubs of London. The Cuiton club
is well frequented literary, scientific and
artistic club. 1t is not very fashionable,
but it serves very well the purpose for
which it was intended Here again is
an establishment of the existence of which
| have been ignorsnt; and although
seldom bet, am ready to wager six to
four that such an institution does not exist
save in the writer's Imagination.
Some people imagine that American
mammas are peculiarly gittef in working
off marriageable daughters. Now, hold
that American mammas, like as the
American girls, are just the best. the
sweetest. and the dearest on the face of
this terrestrial ball" But we must
allow that they possess strategic ability,
and understand good eneraIship-always
in good cause" De it understood. An
American mamma recently gave evidence
of her ability in management in a
forcbls and brilliant piece of generalship
Of change of base in an emergency
so to speak, which revealed such qualities
and ability. rs would, were she man.
place her At the head Of our immense
army. Her eldest daughter had come with
some friends to London. While here, the
hand and Qet Us hopel the heart of our
American beauty were sought by numer-
Gus rivals. By judicious winuowing their
number was, 1t last reduced TO two. Then
the young lady sat down aud wrote to
New York, or Observation-Disclosures the
maternal domicile may be located-tellng
mamma: I've two suitors-awfallv
handsome-both dreadfully nice-fearfully
aristocratc in family. and such nice man
ners! Cannot decide between them. What
shall l do'" Ten days later Artemesia
received u cablegram from her mother:
" Hold both till comet The next steam
er leaving New York bore among its
precious living freight the mamma Of
Artemesia, accompanied by her younger
daughter. Ga their conducted &" negotia.
tons within month both Of the
sisters were happily united in the bonds.
etc. to the two suitors OF Artemesia,
Three cheers for the eoterprizing mother.
The form of humor called practical
joking has, AN happy to say, been on the
decrease for some years. It is not now
thought funny to Brighten women and
children 10 death by dressing up as a
ghost, nor touch OF pleasantly to take
all the furniture out of your friends room
in college, and plant it with shrubs iu-
stead. But revivals are Just now the
fashion, and they have extended TO this
well-nigh extinct species of wit. l am
bound to say that the example I am about
to quote is very fine one of its class, and
has rarely been surpassed in its object
that Of afording the greatest possible
amount OF alarm and inconvenience. A
young lady in Jersey is seen standing on
the rails in front Of an advancing train
the whistle is sounded, the steam is turned
off, the guard is hoarse with shouting. the
passengers are terrified, and the engine
driver, in profuse perspiratiou, just
succeeds in stopping his locomotive within
TWO yards Of the threatened victim. Then
the young lady skips away with q laugh,
and exclaims, What funn' And yet there
are people who maintain that the English
are not q witty nation.
The bishop Of Peterborough has spoken
out in manly tone and right reverendlv
rebuked certain section of society who,
with more than average imbecilty, 20
canting and chanting that as nation the
English are set of drun6ards, steeped
up to the eyebrows in beer aud spirits.
wish some useful occupation could be
found for these gentry and that their Ia
oors might be turned 10 profitable
account. The ringleaders of the move.
ment, had l my way ,sho1li be permanent.
y confined in hydropathic establishments.
to &c: the full benefit of that cure they so
much extol. A[pu,