Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1890-08-09
couRrEsIss TO TRAVELLERS.
Experiences of Three Ladies' While "Do'
ing' tho Tour of Europe.

Soon ESiEo W lhANCEEnSss
Experiences of Three Ladies' While "Do.
ing' tho Tour of Europe.
A party Of three ladies recently travel.
Ing abroad met with the ltindest cour.
tesy from all, even from the proverbially
icicle-like Englishman. In the lake
country, Oxford professors jumped out
of the wagonette, and, picking big
bouquets of English cowslips and prim-
roses, gave the youngest member of the
party delightful lesson in botany; in
Rydal, the homo of Wordsworth was
made doubly interesting by the conver-
sation of Welsh clergyman on top OF
the coach, who jumped down as they
passed Grasmere churchyard, where the
poet lies buried, and, not finding the
sexton with the key of the gate, dar-
ingly jumped the low churchyard fence
and helped his companion over that she
might have time to pick yellow prim-
| rose from the poets grave before the
coach started. In Rouen an old French
lady alighted from tho "bus' and walked
half a mile out of her way to show the
American girl the way to the beautiful
Gothic cathedral of st. Maclou. In
Paris most obliging young English
man, whom she took at first for
Frenchman, stopped an immense wag-
onette with much trouble, and, seeing
she was timid, escorted her across the
crowded boulevard dos Italiens to the
door of the Hotel Splendide, making his
conveyance wait. En- route to Florence,
handsome young Venetian conductor,
seeing she was travelling alone by night,
reserved the whole of an eight-seat
coupe for her without being requested,
and, most, wondrous of all, refused all
mention of a fee.
At Verona, the home of Romeo, a
French gentleman, hurrylng to catch
his train, stopped to interpret her ques-
tions to the ticket seller and inform
her about the custom-house inspection,
which is one of the most disagreeable
things ladies travelling alone have to
encounter. Bowling along the shores of
Lago Maggiore, an obliging French con-
ductor on the roof of the diligence
stopped the whole big coach-load, while
the American girl hunted through the
corridors of an immense hotel for an
American "sandveech."
Perhaps the funniest bit of genuine
kindness was performed by little
Bolognese conductor, black-eyed, with
something of the figure of Bologna
sausage. The express train had been
rushing through tunnels all day; anxious
to miss nothing, the girl had her head
out of the window, until finally, over
come by fatigue, she fell aleep with her
head resting on the open window. A
rapid stop in the immense station sud-
denly. woke her. Looking at her watch,
she saw it must be lunch time. She
started out into the station toward the
! buffet; the conductor followed her, Wild
| ly gesticulating and talking in shrill
| Italian. She offered her ticket; he shook
his head, getting more excited, He tried
! French; no use; still he followed her.
What could it be? The little man
grew crimson with excitement and she
more puzzled than ever. Finally brill
liant thought struck him; he put his
| hand in his pocket and pulled out-not
plum, but a big pocket-mirror and held
it before her face. 1t told the story!
The whole of one side of her face was as
black as the ace of spades! The kindness
of the little Italian, by which he almost
| lost his dinner, had saved her mortify-
| ing debut at the dinner table Before her
ellow-travelers.
All these little acts of kindness, given
simply without any arriere pensee, for
the traveller was neither very young nor
goodlool1ing, show that ladies can travel
in Europe safely and comfortably, and
that the country where chivalry orig
mated has still enough of it left to
smooth the path for womanIind if she
| is, like Mrs. Gummidge, a "lone, lorn
| creatur" Tho memory of the numerons
! kindnesses shown to the party of three
ladies by perfect strangers, whom they
never expect to meet again in this
/ world, forms one of the pleasantest
pictures that hangs on the wall of men,
! ory of that European trip, whose every
day, even without man, was constant
| pleasure Epoch.