The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1881-04-07
THE BEwILDERED TRAVELLER.

During the rage OF the continents war In Eu-
rope, 0ccasion.-no matter What--called an honest
Yorkshire squire TO take journey to Warsaw.
Untraveled and unknOwing, he prepared himself
with no passport his business concerned himself
alone, ana what had foreign nations 10 do with
him2
His route lay through the states Of neutral and
contending powers, He landed in Holland and
passed the usual examluatlOn; but Insisting that
the affairs which brought him there were Of a
private nature, he was imprisoned and question.
| ed and sifted; and, appearing to be incapable Of
design, was at length permitted to pursue his
| Journey,
To the ofioer of The guard which conducted
him to the frontier he made frequent complaints
Of his treatment, and Of the loss he should sustain
by the delay he swore 1t was uncivll and un.
friendly and ungenerOus; FIVE hundred Dutch.
men might have Travelled through Great BItain
without a question; they never questioned any
strangers in Great Britain, nor stopped them nor
guarded them.
Reused from his native phlegm by these reAec-
tiOns on the policy Of his country. the officer
slowly drew the pipe from his mouth, and emit.
ting the smoke therefrom-- "Mynheer," said he,
when you first set your foot on the land OF the
United Provinces, you should have declared that
yon came tnither on affairs Of commerce. and,
replacing his pipe, relapsed into immOvable
taclturnity.
| Released from this unsocial companion, he
soon arrived at a French post where the sentinel
OF the advanced guard requested the honor OF his
permission to ask for his passports; and on his
failing to produce any, he was entreated to par
don the liberty he took OF conducting him to the
commandant, but 1t was his duty, and he must,
however reluctantly, perform 1t.
Monsieur le commandant received him with
cold and pompous politeness; he made the usual
inquiries, and our traveller, determined to avoid
the error which had produced such incOnVeni.
ence to him, replied that commercial concerns
drew him to the continent.
ma fol, says the commandant, "C'est un nego.
tiant, un burgeois-take him away to the citadel,
we will examine him Tomorrow; at present we
must dress for the comedie-allons"
Monsieur" says the sentinel, as he conducted
him to the guardrOom, "you should not have
mentioned commerce to Monsieur le Command.
ant; no gentleman In France dlsgraces himself
with trade; we despise traffic. You should have
informed Monsieur le COmmandant that you en-.
tered the dominion Of the Grand Monarque, for
the purpose of improving yourself In singing or
in dancingor in dressing; arms are the profession
Of man Of fashion, and glory and accomplish
ments his pursuits Vive le Roll" He had the
honor Of passing the night with French guard,
and the next day he was dismissed.
Proceeding on his journey he fell in with de.
| fanhmanf nf GaPnna al
his name, his quality, and his business in that
country. He came, he said, to learn to dance,
and to sing, and to Dress HE is Frenchman,"
said the corporal, "A spy" cries the sergeant.
And he was directed to mount behind a dragoon
and carried to camp.
The officer, whose duty 1t was to examine nris
oners, soon discovered that our traveller was not
Ffenchman, and that as he did not understand
syllable Of the Language, he was totally incRpa,
BILE Of being spy; he therefore discharged him,
but not without advising him no more 10 assume
the frppery character Of a Frenchman. 1--WE
Germans" said he, "eat drink and smoke these
are our favOrite employments, and had you in
formed the party that you followed no other
business, you would have saved them, me and
yourself trouble"
He soon approached the Prussian domlnions,
where his examination was still more strict and
on answering that his only designs were to eat
and to drink, and to smoke--"TO eatl--and to
drinkl-aud to smokeI" exclaimed the officer, with
astonishment "Sr, you must be forwarded to
POtsdsm war is the only business Of mankind"
But the acute and penetrating Frederick soon
comprehended the character of our traveller, and
gave him passport under his own hand. ut is
an ignorant and innocent Englishman," said the
veteran; the ERglish are unsCquainted with
military duties when they want a general, they
borrow him Of me-
At the frontiers Of ssxohy he was again inter.
rogated. II am a soldier" says our traveller
behold the passport OF the first warrior OF the
ageP "You are pupil Of the destroyer Of mil
lions," replied the sentinel I'VE must send you
to Dresden; and, harkye, sir, conceal your pass
port, as you would avoid being torn to pieces by
those whose husbands sons and relations have
been wsntonly sacrificed at the shrine OF Prusslan
ambition"
"Your business in Poland2" inteuogated the
officer.
II really don't know, sir" replied the traveller,
Don't you know your own business, sir2" re-
Sumed the officer. II must conduct you to the
starost."
"For the love Of God" says the weary traveller
take pity on me. have been imprisoned in
Holland for being desirous to keep my own affairs
to myself; have been confined all night in a
French guard.house for declaring myself mer.
chant I have been compelled to ride seven
miles behind a German dragoOn for protesting
myself man Of pleasure; have been carried so
miles prisoner In Pressla, for acknowledging
my attachment to ease and good living and
have been threatened with assassination in
saxOny for avowing myself warrior and there,
fore, II you will have the goodness to let me
know how may render such an account Of my.
self as may not give OfFense, shall consider you
as my friend and preserver."
ItB superAuous to say that he was allowed to
go about his business, and that he arrived safely
In old England.
HE EXPECTS 1T.