The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1889-09-21
THE EDITOR ABROAD.
Random Notes of Foreign Travel.
New GoEk. Sent. 10Th. 1889.

New GoEk. Sent. 18th. 1889.
Ny Dc,u' Nty: When took passag
from tins port on the 18th of July for
short trip to Europe, IA friend said to IN,
that he hoped would have IA pleasan
voyage across the Atlantic, and that
would return to my native land wit
health improved and my Americanisr
unimpaiIed. After "A hurried glance Il
existing social conditions in other conn
tries, | certainly have fulfilled the goo,
wishes of my friend, in the increase,
value | place upon the benefits and bles
sings of American Citizenship hut m,
physical, not to say mental experience a
sea during the p lst twelve days. has beef
fully as uncomfortable AS i. was novel t,
me. 1t is true have seen the Ocean il
its maj sty, and have ielt it's power, bu
these realizations have been accompanied
| am willing to forego any reputation
may have made on ship board as
good sailor, by the unequivocal ant
possibly cowardly confession, that | pre-
fer smooth sea however NOTORIOUS i
may be, and whatever elements Of grand
uer it may lack, to a turbulent ocear
brimlul Of perS ,nal discomfort and o.
| possible disaster. | l.ndei here on
Thursday afternoon after au unusual,
rough summer voyage across the Allan
tic. The pcltiEg storm th,t had beaten
upon us So releltles>lv for many days,
pursued us even to our pier at Brooklyn
| tor the wind shrieked, and the rain fell
| in binding sheets, as We passed down
| the gangway from the good ship State oil
Georgia. BIT before entering into the
| details of my equlnoctial experiences,
| which the unexpected delay here affords
me the opportunity to tell Won, possibly
may be able to add something of inter-
| est TO what | have already written you,
and which antidates my naturalization at
Larne. | had intended to infiicr a
second letter upon you from PARIS, ex-
| pectiug when | wrote you from the gay
metropolis to have INDUCED a lew phllo-
sophie CD reflections upon the different
sorts and conditions of men and women
both native AMI foreign whom had seen
there. But upon second thought | re-
mem bered that had been too superficial
d student OF the science of social economy
to risk lilly considered opinions, or hasty
judgments upon the national charac-
teristics OF the French people. Whatever
opinion therefore | may entertain of them
based upon cursory glance at their GUS
toms and habits as seen upon the streets
of their gay Capital, | nope to display
more discretion in public at least, than
many OF my fellow countrymen and coun
try women whom | met abroad. The
freedom OF CT iticism INDUCED by some
Americans while travelling, was to me in
many Instances n matter of surprise as
well as of pain, and which I know sub
jects all Americans abroad to a measure
Vt unfavorable comment which | am sure
in most cases is undeserved 1t is very
common occurrence to orerhear in rail-
road carriages and on ste .mers, groups
of -mericanS of the loudest type, deliv-
ering themselves of urdcutar judgments
and opinions, that every sensible listener
knows are the highest expressions OF
ignorant conceit. l can recollect
number of distances in which | felt in
dignaut enough to murder i'll cold blood
the objectionable display of their con-
ceited ignorance, in public places. | re-
call particularly a little party INDUCING
what they doubtless called An education-
q! trip, Oh 4 railroad Train iIAuiug OUT of
London. They made an ostentatious
display of their Guide Books, read from
them aloud, commented unfavorably on
what they saw, compared with what they
could see in America, and after they bad
finished their rambling nonsense, had
made enemies of everybody III the rail-
road coach, myself the only American
outside OF their party included.
With this DEPRESSION therefore l have
and dissipation may be witnessed in Paris,
the French people are prUverbially the
most polite people l have ever been
among. Frivolous, volatile, and excita-
BILE they may be, yet to strangers and
visitors they are as a rule most courteous
and considerate even when not inspired
by the hope of pecuniary reward. When
| talk about the French people, or the
English people, mean of course the shop
keeping classes of them, for as general
rule tourists never come in contact with
any other class of either. Very few
Americans are so highly favored as Mr.
Depew, when he goes abroad. When he
cultivated and educated classes of them,
to whom his prominence at home secures
him an easy introduction. People of less
prominence see a different class. They
do not get complimentary peep into the
domestic life of Paris or London. They
lack the opportunity to form correct
judgments of the national character, in
higher phases, than can be seen on the
streets of Foreign Capitals. l have
heard Amercaus vino claim to be trav
elled men and women say, that the
French know no such thing as a domes-
tic or family life in the sense that Ameri-
cans and English do. They don't believe
in the existence of such life in France,
because they do not see it. Aud yet the
fact is, that with all the social gaiety and
dissipation prevalent in the French Cap
ital. there is to be found there as high a
! standard of domestic life, as eau be found
anywhere. And yet know this is not
the popular notion either in England or
America. But beg sirs Your pardon for
this digressio'. | hasten to tell you what
| delightful day spent at St. Cloud and
Versailles, and to which merely referred
in my last letter to you. There is not SO
bright aud clean city in the world as
| Paris. So carefully aud thoroughly are
| the smooth Asphaltum streets swept
and brushed every night, that the mid
die of the roadway is just as clean as the
side walk For driving and bicycling
the streets are superb. | took one of the
! numerous public carriage excursions tC
| Versailles and personally conducted by a
guide. Every feature of your journey il
pointed out aud intclligently explained
to you. You spin out the broad drive o.
| the world famed park, the Bots de BCu