The progressive farmer. [volume] (Winston, N.C.) 1886-1904, 1893-11-07
BILL NYE IS IN LONDON.
He and Clarence Located in Lodgings
There--Clarence, He Explains, is
a Mantle is a Real Nice
Man, Too, William Sol


copyright, 1898. by Edgar w. Nye.l
LONDON, October IA.
Hay here is $45 to $50 per ton.
Had I known of it l would have
brought some with me. In fact, as
many r aware, baled hay is being
shipped now to Eergland from America
in large quantities, owing to the very
dry summer and shortness of grass
and straw here. But if 1 could mar
ket my North Carolina grass every
year at the above prices l could make
enough to square me on the expense of
trying to raise other crops.
The past week I have been the pos
SCISSOR of a valet. The doctor told me
that I did know how to travel Or what
to eat and drink in order to keep out
of the grave, so he prescribed among
other things a valet to travel with me,
do chores, give my orders, attend to
my washing and ironing and be gen
eral all around guide, philosopher and
hired man.
l call him Clarence. He is IS years
of age and resembles me very much in
appearance. 1t is rather amusing to
see me going about over England &C.
companied by a manservant resembling
me so closely. Elsewhere it would
cause laughter, but here it is kindly
and even c~ourteously received, but not
mirthfully.
Clarence points out various places of
interest to me in the city or country
as We jog along. He is not up on art
very much, being a self made man
who ran short of hair as he finished
the job. But he knows this country
by heart, and though his English is
bad enough to import into America for
the use of those who wish to affect the
groom of this country he is a good
servant and has an appetite that will
cut my visit short here by a week.
At present 1 am at lodgings. Every
body advices you to take lodgings here,
and very likely it would be a good
thing if we could always know what
they were to be. Mine could be a good
deal better, for the Iandlady has seen
better days" Perhaps 1 need not say
any more than that.
However, it is a case where the hus
band joyfully died about Is years ago
and left his wife a landlady with a
in her voice and no idea of
keeping house. You see such cases
everywhere, but more here perhaps.
More people connected by the eyellds
with the Established Church die here
or lose their jobs and leave witless
relatives to cling to worldly people
who are on salaries than elsewhere
perhaps.
l am sensitive to the cold, and Eng
land is cold. People who are used to
it, Of course, do not mind it, but to
dwell with this never dying chill at
heart, surrounded by a pail of
shivers and darkness such as today
pervades my room, and confronted by
such a fire as 1 have, is the kind Of
thing that makes one beg for death or
an early steamer.
Ny fire is made in an iron sconce
just big enough to hold a black brick.
This brick is coal dust and dirt mixed
tar or New Orleans molasses or
something and then compressed. 1t is
as i~ncombustible as a belgian block,
and when in its wild fury it turns red
and is really in its meridian it is as
fercely hot as a new laid egg.
I ask Clarence to stir it up, but he
well asks how one can stir a brick that
is wedged in the chimney. 1 put On
more o~vercoats and sit on my feet.
They are so chilled that I am most
I will take cold sitting on them.
Last Sabbath l attend divine services
Westminster abbey and wore my
new clothes made mere. There was a
futter of pleasure, I fancied, as
l passed down the aisle. The clothes
are not so loud as some that l was
tempted to get What 1 wore was a
subdued or sort of protested check
made in a box plat jacket, with hat of
same, trousers half tight fitting i. e.,
tight below the knee and very full
above-plaid tennis shoes and white
'spats."
Westminster abbey has a good choir
of singers, who live here in town, and
an organ that is paid for. The voice of
organ was very comforting to me, a
stranger with sweet memories only for
company, and on its velvet mantle of
melody my heart rose. 1 believe in an
honest but ~voiceless prayer.