The record-union., 1893-01-07
Odd Incidents of Foreign Travel
and 0bSeryatiOn---II.
Tho Late Lord Tennyson and His Raro
Port Wine-A Good and Bad Brit
ish Custoin-WraIths of the OIden
Roman Roads-John ConneIl, the
Blind Singer of Edinburgh.
Especial Correspondence of the RECORD
UNION. Copyright, 1891
LONDON, December q, 1892.

flS4lc0 IiOuSt, Isle Ol w lSll,
the home of the late Lord Tennyson,
few months before the poets death. In
his later years the laureate, forgivably
enough, received this sort of tribute rath-
er charity, as he had somehow become
possessed of the old suspicion that lit
erary pilgrims sought his cellar, famous
for the oldest and choicest port wine in
England, rather than for opportunity for
worshiping at the shrine of his person
ality.
We found him among the shrubbery
which luxuriously hides the quaint old
place, wandering in the verdure and
blossoms like an unreasonable st. Nicho-
las masquerading beneath frowsy slouch
hat. He received us kindly enough, but
with brusque familiarity, as though we
had been importunate tenants coming to
insist upon rent reductions. and led US
directly to his study. The one man serv-
ant of the place instantly appeared with
the air of country inn servitor awaiting
dubious order from questionable guests.
The great poet simply said, 'Two!' with
deprecatlng gesture, motioned us to a
seat upon an ancient leather-cOVered set
tie, tossed his slouch hat into corner
of the study and sank wearily into his
capacious easy chair at the study table,
as if about to undergo an unpleasant or
deal.
Tennyson eyed my German friend with
evident distruSt until the man servant re-
turned with two bottles of port wine,
glasses for his visitors. and huge dock
glass, holding at least pint, for himself.
Then the great man deliberately put an
end to conversation by abruptly declar
ing that he felt unable to discuss German
philosophy or American politics, pushed
6rla ND ne md
held the other bottle by the neck as if
fearful 1t might somehow disappear. I'M
patiently motioning us TO partake he at
once helped himself to a good half pint of
wine, TO which was added half as much
cold water. This was repeated, until in
half hours time, his own bottle had been
entirely emptied. We said some pleas
ant things and came away. My German
friend was furious, more furious over the
quality of the wine that had been served
TO us. than the poets apparent antipathy
to the PHILOSOPHERS of his countrymen.
The same evening in London, while We
were still in company together with few
literary friends at a Covent Garden re-
sort, the German author Indignantly re-
lated the incident. The entire party
laughed merrily at our discomfit
and one, weu-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 a bottle of his favorite
port, glass for Irving, and the same
huge dock-glass, with pitcher of water,
was set before him. In few moments
Lord Tennyson fell asleep. Irving gently
disengaged his hand from the neck of the
bottle, took it to his own side of the
pf,rAx to1l lo 1aSe+
tire contents before the poet awoke. The
remainder of lrving's visit was distin-
guished by extreme hilarity on his part
and well-defined GOODNESS on the part of
the laureate; but Irving has always been
eestatic over his achievement, and pos
sesses the extraordinary distinction of
being the only man living, aside from the
9 laureate himself, who ever really drank
an entire bottle of Lord Tennyson's rare
old port wine.
In foreign travel, as in some other
things, we are often the victims of our
own opaqueness or prejudice. In Lon
don and other British cities, the Ameri-
can will notice little signs at street cor
ners in crowded, narrow thoroughfares
in parkways and at all sudden turnings
traversed by vehicles, reading, keep to
the left"
Some years ago when 1 first noticed
this it worried me. l wanted to under
stand it, and, like true American. per-
haps, protest about it little. l APP
preached London policeman with the
earnest inquiry:
beg pardon, officer, but might l ask
why, in London, everything goes ITO
the left?''
Like one of Mrs. Jarley's figures his
head moved statelily. He regarded me
one awful, official moment with con-
temptuous pity. His head moved back
in xNrfth 1.rtfI
he answered:
AM WY in 'ell shouldn't it?"
had never thought of that. After OBJ
serving and thinking little, l saw that
the English are right in keeping to the
left. Drivers being seated at the right
thereis absolutely no other way in which
to utilize every inch of crowded streets.
In keeping 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
meeting or passing, far greater speed is
secured, while danger and loss from
clashing wheels are almost wholly avoid
ed. There is wisdom in discarding bad
custom for good one wherever we may
find the latter.
There is the custom of the British gem
try and nobility, as old as the English
railway system, which can never, save in
a modified way, have its counterpart even
with the most extensively recent access
ssionS TO our American 'ariStocracy.'' -
That is fors gentleman and his wife to
occupy tirst-class compartment of a
railway carriage, apparently for the bet
ter accommodation of their lap-dog,
while their children and servants are
crowded and banged about in d second
or third-class compartment of the same
train.
Perhaps this custom was never quite so
unpleasantly impressed upon me as
when returning from London to York
over the Great Northern Railway.
happened for time to be the sole occu-
pant of a first-class compartment. and
had fallen asleep. Parties had entered
unknown to me, and / was awakened
Just as the London suburbs were reached
by an unusual commotion.
A plump English lady, past 10, with
wild eyes and long, smooth-sbaven up
per lip, was struggling with the rear por-
ton OF a tiny, white Porto Rico lap-dog.
Opposite her, on the same seat, a burly
Englishman was pleading with the same
animal which had set its teeth with much
persistent frmness in the tenderest por-
ton of its masters nose.
1t was a young lady dog. Its ringlets
had been so sheared as to give it the ap
pearance of fierce Numidian lion. 1t
was exceedingly nervous and excita-
BILE, and its master had nagged the Great
ure.
DERBY, y,"-pronounced Darby-it was
called until it had retortod by grabbing
the pursy gents nose as though II had
been rat.
''God bless me soul. Darby! Dye know
y'ave me nose quite set between yer
pretty little teeth? A quiet tweak by
Darby.l Darby, deari say, Darby,
Il