The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1889-01-10

Fred Douglass Rels1Ds Some Singular
periences Abroad and at Home.

Fred Douglass RelsNDs Some Singular Ex-
periences Abroad and at Home.
Washington Letter, In New York Tribune.
A group of prominent Republicans had
gathered about an open CRATE fire at the
headquarters of the National Republican
League, few evenings ago, when in some
mysterious manner, the conversation drifted
from politics into discussion of strange
mental phenomena. When the subject had
been pretty thoroughly discussed, and many
queer and weird yarns had been spun,
Fred" Douglass, who formed one of the
group and had been silent listener, sud-
denly cleared his throat, and with Gym
ical smile, said:
Gentlemen, the strange phenomena you
have referred to, while they undoubtedly
impressed upon,my mind the multiplicity
of things we know nothing of, are not
nearly so mystifying as is the effect of Lon
don fog or Paris sunshine upon the average
American"
Every member of the circle about the fire
sought the face of the speaker, doubtful
whether he was attempting TO give the dis
cusSiOn q humorous tinge, after It had been
running along in serious manner, but
his cOuntenance bore only the signs of
grave thoughtfumess. and his eyes were
looking directly into the flame that shot up
from the burning logs
Il suppose" he continued, ''the scientist
would tell US that fog is fog and sunshine
is sunshine the world over; the one, moist
ure suspended i'll the air; the other, rays of
light and heat from the central body of our
solar system. l can Onl; give you the phe-
nOmena which proved to me their differ
ence from Washington sunshine and its Oc-
casiOnal fog, leaving the subtle train of
action connecting cause and effect to be the
subject for your speculation.
In the course of my European trip,
nearly two years ago, spent a large por-
ton of my time in London and Paris and
one of my pleasantest remembrances is the
cordiality of Americans who met me there.
Time and again, when have been walking
down the Strand, along Piccadilly or saun-
tering on the BOulevards, have / been
slapped on the shoulderand greeted warmly:
'''HellO, Douglass, how are your Glad to
see you
would wiring my hand till I'd feel faint,
and many time have helped to block
up the sidewalk and make pc
destrians cut a curve around us Nas
l was being almost deyoured In this
it. Its rather fiattering to be on such good
terms with ones cOuntrymen. To be sure,
my shoulder came near being dislocated,
and had to pay tailor to pad my coat on
the shoulders TO ease the blows, but 1 didn't
begrudge the money it cost me. / wish to
put myself ON record in saying | never saw
such warm-hearted friendliness as exhib-
tied in Americans whom | met abroad. /
may say l did not know most of them, but
me, and after the Misunderstanding and
Misunderstanding, they would urge me to ac-
cept more substantial hospitality in a
neighboring cafe. After l was abroad a
year accepted these cordial meetings as a
matter of course, and they became natural
part of my seeing an American.
Finally drifted back to America, and
again took up my home across the Eastern
Branch, and occasionally drove in the city
and INDUCED in "a walk down Pennsylvania
avenue. AS the year grew older many OF
the tourists had seen abroad appeared on
the avenue, and, remembering cur cordial
greetings in Europe, I'd look TO catch their
eyes. But curious to say. the shop windows
seemed TO have such attractions for them
on such occasions or perhaps fine team
would come tearing down from the Treas
ury, or SEINE vague point of interest would
suddenly loom up on the other side of the
avenue-they never saw me. Now, they
always saw me first in London and Paris,
but here il seems different. j was the first
and often the only one TO recognize
an acquaintance; and when there
would be mutual recognition
it would be one merely made known hy a