The midland journal., 1889-04-19

raids ON the potatoes. tomatoes and cranberry
sauce between each mouthfuL Thanks to
the many climates Of America tthe therrnom-
eter varies In winter from rs above zero Lin
the south to IS below in the north, you have
turkey and cranberry sauce all the winter,
Strawberries six months Of the year and to-
! matoes all the year round.
! Oh, the turkey and cranberry saucel
ate enough Of that dish to satisfy ME for the
rest Of my days No more turkey and cram
berry sauce for me, though should live to
be hundredl
OF course all the meats. placed around
your plate, soon begin to cool, and you have
| no choice but to bolt your food. diving with
knife and fork into the little dishes right and
left as dexterously as you can.
Finally you como to the apple tart on the
extreme right. You carefully lift the cheese
and, placing It aside. prepare to eat your
sweets without this strange seasoning I'm
happily the pastry has become inpregnated
with an odor of roquefort. and again you
pass A vanilla cream terminates your re-
past.
Having disposed Of this. you ask yourself
why, in free country, you may not have
your various courses served one after the
other; why you must bolt your food and
bring on indigestion, and above all why the
manager of the hotel, in his own interest as
man Of business, does not before all else study
the comfort of his customers The answer is
not difficult to find It is the well being
Of the duchess, and not that Of the travel
srs, that he devotes his attention to study
ing. The traveller is Obliged to come to his
house. and he can treat him anyhow His
"helps" will only consent to stay with him,
on condition he gives them heavy wages and
light duties He has no choice but to submit
to his servants or to close his hotel The
Americans, free though they may be polite
ally, are at the mercy of their servants,
whether In public or private life. This kind
Of tyranny is hateful To throw off the yoke
Of the superior classes is very well; but am
not aware that the yoke Of the common peo-
pie is at all preferable. John Bull commands
all his paid servants. Jonathan obeys his
Thus, In the hotels Of America outside of
the large cities, with the rarest exceptions,
the dinner Is served from O'Clock to 5, the
tea-supper from to g. You happen to ar
rive at half past s, tired out and famishing.
You hope to be able to obtain good meal
without delay. nlusioni You must wait
until the dining room door Is opened, and
pass two hours and a half in wretchedness.
How often have l entreated, imploredi
could you not get chop cooked for me- or
an omelet, or somethingi If that is impos-
sible, for mercy's sake give me slice of cold
meat" Prayers and supplications were un-
availing Occasionally a landlord would
express his regrets and make excuses for his
inability to oblige me; but far oftener got
tried making a tempest, without any more
success. Another time l tried politeness.
Excuse me-" said, ''if am intruding.
hope that by putting up at your hotel shall
not be too much in your way. have not
the honor to be citizen Of the greatest rc-
public in the world, but am only a poor
European who does not know your ways In
future will take careful precautions. But
this time, and just for once, should be so
much obliged for something to eat. should
be distressed to occasion any arrangement in
your household, but just for once, only
once"
Sheer waste Of breath. Theho is as it is;
you may use 1t er stay away.
The Americans are quite right to study the
comfort Of their servants, but the well being
of one class should not exist at the cost of the
well being of another, and the people who
travel are as interesting as those who serve at
table.
Tyranny from above Is sore; tyranny
from below is pestilence.