The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-01-08


CUSTOM Wraiths of the Olden oman
Roads-John Connell, the Blind Singer
of Edinburgh.
(CopVri0ht)
LONDON, Dec. 27.-An eminent German
author and myself visited Farringford
house, Isle of Wight, the home Of the late
Lord Tennyson, a few months before tie
poets death. In his later years. the laure-
ate. forgivably enough, received this sort of
tribute rather charity, as he had somehow
become possessed Of the odd suspicion that
literary pilgrims sought his cellar, famous
for the Oldest and choicest port wine in
England, rather than for opportunity for
worshipng lat the shrine of his person.
atty.
We found him among the sbrubbery
which luxuriously hides the quaint old
place, wandering in the verdure and Ulos-
SONS like an unreasonable st. Nicholas
masquerading beneath frowsy SLOUGH hat.
He received us kindly enough, but
with brusque familiarity; as though we had
been importunete tenants coming to insist
upon rent reductions, aud led us directly to
bis study. The one man servant of the
country inn servitor awaiting dubious
order from questionable guests. The great
poet simply said: ''TwOn with a deprecRt-
Ing gesture; motioned us to a seat upon an
ancient leather~covered settee; tossed his
SLOUGH hat into a corner of the study aud
sank YEARLY into his capacious easy
chair at the study table, as If about
10 undergo an unQle Isant ordeal.
TeDnyson eyed my German friend with
evident mistruss until the man servant re-
turned with two bottles Of port wine, glasses
Tor his visitors, and a huge dock glass, hold
ing at least pint, for himself. Then the
great man deliberately put an end to the
conversation by abruptly declaring that he
felt unable to discuss German philosophy
or American politics; pushed one bottle
and the glasses toward us; and held
the other bottle by the neck as if fearful
1t might somehow disappear Impatiently
motioning us to partake, he at once
helped himself to good half pint of wine,
TO which he added half as much cold
water. This was repeated, until in half
hours time, his own bottle had been en-
tireIy empt.ed. We said some pleasant
things and came away. My German
friend was furious; more furious over the
quality of wine that had been served to US,
than the poets apparent altipathy to the
philosophers of bis countrymen. The same
evening in London. while we were still in
company together with a few literary
friends at a Covent Garden resort, the Ger
man author Indignantly related the Incl
dent. The entire party laughed merrily at
our discomforture, and one, q well-known
actor finally Said
"Henry Irving is the only person who
ever really got The best Of Lord Tenny-
son regarding his famous port wine. he
was visiting him about TWO years since
When the dessert came on the poet left
the table and retired to his study with
Irving. Here bottle Of his favorite port,
q glass for Irving, and the same huge dock
glass, with a pitcher of water, was set be-
fore him. In d few moments Lord Tommy
son fell asleep. Irving gently disenGaRed
his hand from the neck OF the bottle. took il
to his OVID side OF the study table, aud les-
urely dra It's entire contents before the
poet aGoke. The remainder OF Irvings
visit was distinguished by extreme hilaritY
on his part, and well-defned GOODNESS on
the part Of the laureate; but Irving has
always been ecstatic over MS achievements,
and possesses the extraordinary distlu ctiou
of being the ouly man living, ASIDE from
the laureate himself, who ever drank an
entire bottle of Lord Tenuyson's rare old
port wine.
Ia foreign travel, as in some other things.
We are often the victims Of our own opaq g.
ness or prejudice. In London and other
ID lbiSu ClblGS, buS ALICIlCbu WAL bOLlCS Nv
tie signs at street corners, IN crowded, mar
row thorouRhfares, in parkways, and at
sudden turnings lraversed by vehicles, read
ing, keep TO the iest."
Some years ago when first noticed this
1t worried me. | wanted TO understand it,
and, like true American, pc haps protest
about it little. l approached a London
policeman with the earnest inquiry:
beg pardon, officer, but might L ask
why, in London, everything goes To the
left?n
Like one of Mrs. Jarley's figures his head
moved sta elily. He regarded me one awful,
official moment with contemptuous pity.
His head moved back again. Then with
whitening scorn he answered:
"Au' wy in ELL shouldn't it"
| bad never thought Of that. After OBJ
serving and thinking little, | saw that the
English are right in keeping to the left.
Drivers being seated at the right, there is
absolutely no other way in which to utilize
every inch of crowded street. In keep
ing to the right, as with US, no
driver can safely judge distance, when
meeting or passing other vehicles. Here,
where the drivers heads practically come
together over their wheel hubs when meet
Ing or passing, far greater speed is secured;
while danger and loss from clashing wheels
aealmost wholly avoided. There is wisdom
In discarding bad custom for good one,
wherever we may fluid the latter.
There is one custom of the B itish gentry
and nobility, as old as the English railway
system, which can never, save in
modified way, have its counterpart
even with the most Extensively recent ac-
cessions to our American "aristocracy."
That is for a gentleman and his wife to
occupy firsu-ciass compartment OF rail-
way carriage, apparently for the better ac-
commOdation Of their lap-dog, while their
eMdren and servants are crowded aud
oahged about IN a second or tnird-class
compartment of the same train.
Perhaps this Gus ON was never quite so
unpiessantly impressed upon me as when
rsturning from London to York over The
Great Northern railway. | happened for
Time to be the sole occupant Of first-class
compartment and had fallen asleep Par
Ties had entered unkao IN to me, aud was
awakened, just as the London suburbs were
reached, by an unusual commotion.
plump English lady, past 40, with wild
eyes and long, smooth-shaven upper lip,
was struggling with the rear portion OF a
ihy, white Porto Rico lap dog. Opposite
her ON the same seat a burly Englishman
was pleading with the same animal, which
mad set its teeth with much persistent firm
ness in the tendersst portion Of its masters
II was young lady dog. Its ringlets had
oeen so sheared as TO give it the appearance
Vi berce Numidian lion. 1t was exceed
ingly nervous aud excitAble, and its master
hbd nagRed the CreAture-Derby, pro-