The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1889-12-25

able tricks Is that or gong smiling
about, as if everything smelt ill At
home he has carried his sanitarian hobby
to very mania, and he seems terribly
afraid there is typhoid fever lurking in
every corner of every building he en-
ters All these little matters, added to
his calm way of making himself at
home, as if all the world belonged to
him, are necessarily trying to the for
eigner
Under the Second Empire, John Bulls
little peculiarities were Jumped under
the head of "insular eccentricities. Only
the better class people of England trav-
eled on the Continent in those days; they
were rich, and spent their money freely.
seldom even taking the trouble to look
at their bills. If they hurt the suscepti-
bilities of the natives, the latter found
English gold tolerable balm for the
wounds, and further solaced themselves
with caricaturing John Bull to their
hearts content.
But tile times have changed John is
no longer the good guinea pig that he
was The enterprising Mr.. Cook has
arisen with his personally conducted"
tours, and been followed by many imi-
tators. all anxious to give you the max
imum of sight seeing at the minimum
of cost.
At first these firms were only patron
lied by the city clerk class. Unable to
speak foreign languages, but anxious to
make the most of his annual fortnight's
holiday. the clerk put himself under the
care of one of those lightning conduct
ors who, for a consideration of eight or
ten pounds, lodged him, fed him, spoke
for him, and whirled him through
Europe in less time than it takes to see
London tolerably.
But now, people who would not think
of going with this flock of gapers, pur-
chase Cooks coupons and obtain hotel
accommodation in any foreign town for
about two-thirds of the usual cost. The
continent is overrun with English tour
lists, whose object is to do the thing
cheaply.
The French hotel keeper of today
keeps his smiles and his best bow for the
Americans and the Russians, and shows
his disapproval of the Cookists by send
ing them to his top floors, scarcely an
enjoyable elevation in land where the
elevator is as yet rare luxury.
Poor fellowl is it any wonder if, find
ing that he is not wanted, he takes his
little revenge by shutting his eyes to all
that is admirable, and doing his best to
confirm in his mind all the absurd preju-
dices he set out with?
How he has managed this, you may
find out if you care to question him on
his return as to what he has SEEN
Has he passed day or two among the
treasures of Cluny or the Gobelins? Has
he done more than walk through the
Louvre? Has he made acquaintance
with the Sorbonne and the College of
France and what goes on there? Has he
ever been, on Sunday, in some of the
churches, and seen for himself that
French churches are not, like the
English ones, full only from eleven to
half-past twelve, but thronged from six
o'clock in the morning to one in the
afternoon by crowd whose fervor is
second to that of no other church goers?
Oh, dear, mol Catch John in church
on the continent.
Then where has he passed his time?
Look over his shoulder the first time
he writes letter to an intimate friend
on arriving at home:
DEAR BoY-I have just returned
from the continent. will postpone Civ