Fort Worth daily gazette. (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1882-1891, 1884-05-05
LONDON LETTER.
Farewell to Old England and Goodbye
to Bonnie Scotland.
An Americans Impressions Of the People
Of Both Counties.
Social characteristics aud Business Pc
culiarltics Conttasted.

hib ~ itVhNVht sf'' -
household responsibilities are in dream
land, and / have quiet hour at my
command, I must not fail to have q
few last words with my friends, the
readers of THE GAZETTE. Not that
/ think they will care particularly to
know what my impressions lin nut
shell, SO to speak, y of this country are,
but have a fancy that will be inter-
ested myself, later on, to know just
what thought of England, the En-.
glish. and their pecularities, and of
Bonnie Scotland the Scotch and their
ways. Hence it is that have con-
Guided to jot down some of these i'm
pressions on the eve of my departure
from Europe, in one corner of which
have spent very many pleasant hours,
days, weeks and months since June
last. l trust that may not be entirely
wi hout interest for others.
Before left Texas for England had
an idea that was in no proper sense
of the term prejudiced as to this coun-
try and people; that had tolerably
accurate idea of both; in short, that |
had made fairly good use of my oppor-
tunities for studying them through
books, and the many personal repre-
sentatiyes had met in America. But
I hadn't been here many weeks before
found that my views on these sub
iects were undergoing many and radi
cal changes. My object in this letter
will be to explain, not so much the
wherefore as the result of the changes.
Ia The first place then, | was not
; prepared TO find Englishmen and
Scotchmen, as far as appearances
/: at least went, very much
like Americans. Indeed, 1 now state
advisedly that there is more similarity
between both Englishmen and Scotch
) men on the one hand and Southerncrs
on the other, than there is between
: South denominate "Yankees." There
are not very marked differences
5 between Southerners and Westerners,
r but real down-East Yankee is sui
9 goneris, not like any other human
animal | have ever met. / have met
I with hundreds of them here at the
! American Exchange and at other
I American headquarters in London
. and can now understand what
: an Englishman, for instance
j means, when he speaks of the
american twang.n If | had the time
and inclination, l think, on the spul
of the moment, that L could give doz
ems of instances and illustrations show
ing how and why Englishmen arr
struck with the singularity of expires
t sions on the part of these Americans
whom they mostly meet. The fact is
comparatively few Southerners visi
England and Scotland, and meeting
i. only with Fasteners as a rule, Eng
u lishmen accept them as types of tn,
= universal Yankee" the term Yanke,
|. being understood by them as applying
= alike to all Americans. Now that
have been away from America fol
Is nearly year, aand associating daily
e, with Britishers, as readily notice tn,
lr American twang' as they.
la SO in their habits and modes o
a thought l find Englishmen an,
In Scotchmen are very much like tn
nj people of the Southern states. The,
m are perhaps not so demonstrative ii
Id their hospitality, but 1 think thei
of hospitality is none the less genuine
d. full and sincere because they have
id more conservative way of eXtendin,
nd it. 1 am sure have never been NOR
We Hospitality treated, even in my old owl
err state of Virginia, famed the worl,
nd over for its hospitality, than in thi
nj. country.
~ And, as bearing slightly on this sub
es ject, l will mention in this place tina
he | came here under the impression tina
of at least one Southern las contradis
ad tinguished from Eastern) peculiarit,
AL was not to be noticed here In TIL
we South If two gentlemen meet, ever
he casually, it follows almost as matter
ed course that one of the other ''stand
ns treat" Two Southern gentlemen NEE
In. COR the first time on the streets, an,
we after the first salutation it may be re
us lied on that one or the other will
ter remark, "let's go and get drnks.u o
ry- II drinks are not comeatible, as whel
get they meet In stage coach or railwa
en- car, the cigar case or the pocket-fl asl
he naturally appears, and two smoke o
vas drink Mt the expense of one. No
he having Travelled much "up North,u
DIV have no personal knowledge of hoy
ort far or how little this custom obtain
YER there, though have heard it said tina
it'll 1t is not at all the rule. As have sal
IL before, had not expected to see an
It'll sign of the custom over here, but
AN have noticed that, as custom. ii ha
The taken firm root among Englishme
inc particularly. / have met gentleme
nod here under hundreds of circumstance,
lat. and they have as a rule either said t
an. me, let's have something,u or In RI
/. Spouse to my invitation have again. o
OF course, accepted. Yesterday mer
TONED this fact to an intelligent Eno
fish barrister who has travelled muc
In the states, and he said he too ba
at noticed that the custom, as such. WIS
becoming fast a fact In England.
Scotland noticed that IL now an
then showed itself, but as yet / thin
eet II not the rule among gentlemen
but 'nough by 40 means a rare exception
her Another matter attracted my after
IA. ton and gave me some pleasure.
'uy don't know where, when and how
has got the idea that the English neon
All sympathized with the,North as apain.
md the South In the late war between m
.da states. But l brought such an Idle
aue here with me and l remember that
Ie was confirmed by trifling circun
= a - stance which took place on board IN
~ ~ steamship Egypt, In which my famil
ana came over from New York
j.. believe / mentioned this circ,mstapc
In one OF my first London letters !
The GAZETTE, but as an illustration
ev. point and apropos to the subject abou
as which am writing, / may, not in
an' properly hope, mention IL again
" was In the smoking-room of III
! EwVDt ono ayapt,,. -