The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1884-01-03
MINISTER tfE>Y,o VALET.
The Elegant EnglisI,man Whose Acquaint
..nc1 Philadelphia Eagerly Sought.

The Elegant Englisllman Whose AcQuaint
anc. Philadelphia Eagerly SoUs LIT.
From the Philadelphia Times.
When L,noel S. Sackville West, the
new British Minister to the United States.
a,,s y ia, l. -lla,,-A,s:is o. tn~ ".ts'
side of the Att snsic, he betrayed consider
able anxiety lest he might suffer BY landing
1T port where none of the ar;stocrucy, SO
far as he knew, had landed before.
I've often herd of New York, yon
know ne is reported to have said, "and I
an told the facilities for travelling from
there to Washington are quite comfortable.
They have railways all The way am told,
but Philadelphia never heard about the
travelling facilities from Philadelphia or
how travellers get from there to Washing
ton, or the condition of the roads-but
to 90 to Washington from Philadelphia
than it would take to go from New York"
To be IN tho safe side, Mr.. West sent
his valet on in the steamer ahead of him to
examine the country and the roads ano find
out the shortest routes, and meet him and
report upon his arrival. Now it happens
that in his COY motion with the diplomatic
service abroad Mr.. West found it conven-
lent to have valet who, " lie an English
man. Still spoke French, and MIR. Wills
for that is the name the gentle man of the
bed chamber bears upon his stylish visit
ing curd-aside from his natural gifts, by
reason of his extensive travels and inform
alton, is very agreeable and interesting
| person. When, therefore, small, natty
individual, with fresh face and mutton
| chop whiskers, fat hat, square shoes, and
overcoat reaching TO his heels, appeared on
board the Government vessel, crowded with
senators and judges and colonies and COM
p,o1orco op1 roa,, NTH fra ar1ouq ban1k
accounts, all intent upon meeting and well
coming the diplomatist, there was dutter
| on the quarter deck that extended, down
| into the cabin, where duet was progress
| between craking jokes and popping corks,
and everyone said: "Who is he?"
A fortunate in aividual who had previous
ly got wind Of him and simply knew that
| he, was an Englishman and Mr.. Vests
avant courier, quickly had him by the arm
| and was introducing him. General So
| and-so, let me introduce you to- my par
ticular'friend, Mr.. Wills. the new minis
ter's private secretary: Judge Such-aad-
such, Gene here o n-iaute until l present
you to MIR. Wills, the secretary Of tie leea-
ton. and personal friend of MIR. VESTS"
"excuse me, DR.. Willis, allow me to pre-
sent to you the Hon. MIR. So-and's SO, one
| of our most distinguished citizens. The
doctor, Mr.. So. and-so, is in charge of the
British affairs at Washington until Mr..
| West arrives"
This is about the way the thing went on.
| Everybody wanted to be introduced, and
Mr.. Wills, was the lion Of the hour. IF they
| could not have Mr.. West they ct least could
have Mr.. Wills, who was the next thing to
him. Several distinguished citizens
thought it diseraceful that Mr.. Wills should
be subject to promiscuous introdcotions,
and by the exerc SO of considerable ~dip1o-
macy engineered him off into the after cab
in, where they had him all to himself and
feted him 10 their hearts content.
He was unqueStionably an entertaining
companion. aud afterward, with the select
hs c 5eyR h I ESe6 on tbs hs tHg s
fnl hearing him telling about Gortchakoff's
peculiarlues, character of the Vienna
water, the condition of the road to Mos
COW, the style Of Eugene in her palmiest
days, and great deal more such as trav-
eled man of taste would observe, or lack
ey be able to retail after herring it from
other lips. But when the visiting party
arrived on board the steamship manifest
change came over Mr.. Wills. A reporter
had already noticed that Mr.. Wills had
steered clear of Mr.. Adam, of the British
embassy at WASHINGTON, and that MIR. Ad-
am, who had confidently told the reporter
that his godmother was Lady North, took
no more notice Of Mr.. Wills than he did
Of the wooden figure. head on the tug.
"Oh," said Mr.. Adam to questioner,
hes only Mr.. West'e valet, my dear fell
low, that's all"