The Bennington banner. [volume] (Bennington, Vt.) 1858-1894, 1894-03-09
SHEVISITED AMERICA
A LONDON GIRL LEARNS SOMETHING
OF HISTORY AND OUR WAYS.

Slept on q Plano and Had Queer Dreams.
The Shops and tho Signs Interested Her,
as Did the Baby Checking Annex.
When l engaged my "stateroom" in the
comfortable steamship Catalonia, for Bos-
ton, l had never heard of the famous brew
of tea in Boston harbor in seventeen hun
dred and something, but l have often
thought since that it was perhaps pun
ishment for that shameful waste that
America has never succeeded in brewing
good tea, nor had heard Of Crispus At
tucks, the martyred "colored gentleman"
whose elegant statue stands in Boston
park. Nor indeed did know that in that
free country ''colored gentleman" is the
American for African niger. In fact, l
did not, as the Yankees say, "know enough
to come in when it rains"
On that memorable voyage l learned
three things: /. That you must not call
the southerner Yankee. 9. That you
must not call the Canadian an American.
8. That the sooner found out how liked
America the better.
1t was night when l got to my "hall
room," as the small room in boarding
house over the front door is called in
America. l was dreadfully sleepy, and
supposed Mrs G. noticed this for she said
kindly in her New England soprano::
"Why, my child, you look real tired.
Won't you go right to bed?" Yes, indeed,
| would, but looked in vain for the bed.
The entire furniture of the hall room was
a beautiful birdseye maple piano-at least
what l thought was a piano-a pretty
writing bureau and a rocking chair.
"Let me fix your bed for you" And
from the ledge of the supposed writing
table she produced the magic wand, and
in a trice "unwound my bed," spring
mattress and all, but the piano had disap-
| peared, likewise my writing table had re-
volved into n charming washstand, with
clear flow of water from the deep tank be-
hind, which formed the solid looking up
right of the bureau. The Irish 'help"
presently brought me in a large jug of ''ice
WATER and some "crackers" and asked
me if would like some lunch. thought
she was trihe previous, still | reflected
that in this rapid land they might have
adopted Alice in Wonderland's system of
"breakfasting at afternoon tea and dining
on the following day" but | afterward
learned that any meal served after 10 p,
m. is termed lunch. When | was left
alone, l took off my walking boots and de-
posted them at the back of the door and
proceeded to do my hair. Presently Mrs.
G. came along and knocked at the door.
"Excuse me, but would you mind taking
in your boots. can't be responsible for
them out there" | explained that want
ed them brushed.
"Oh, my, but Pm afraid you'd wait
awhile. My help wouldn't brush pair of
boots, not for the president himself. If
you'll take my advice, you'll put these
black leather boots away and wear dress
kid pair of half shoes with patent leather
tips"
soon fell asleep on the comfortable
piano and dreamed that l was surrounded
all over the bedclothes by little dishes OF
Boston beans. succotash and cream toast
and that | must not move or the piano
would play 'Home, Sweet Home." When
awoke, the first thing did was to pull
up the blinds and have look out. The
street was not a long one and quite
straight. There was an lice cream and
drug store" right opposite, and in large
black Letters on white ground over tho
entire length of the building ran "Black
ewes mended here" At the corner sat &
colored gentleman, and his sign read thus
"Professor Monday. Shine, Sc; varnish
10c" He wore n tall pearl derry hat ant
frock coat and was reading Town Top
les, so he must have been a man of cul-
ture. | said that after lunch | would like
to go out shopping. My companion at ia.
BILE d'hote offered to come with me anC
''show me around" AS she had some com
missions to do for "mumma, and as she
could not come out till "haf psf B." she
lent me the local paper to study, as SHE
said there were wonderful "mark downs
going on.
When my friend had finished all hel
commissions for "mumma," and l hat
done my shopping, we went to the 'drue
department" and there, perched on higf
stools, we, along with hundreds of Others
drank "ice cream soda" through q straw
She declared that she had just the right
change in her "pocketbook" and insisted
that should not pay for my first Amer
lean drink. was most amused when we
took the elevator" up to the boot ant
shoe department to buy ''rubbers" to Sc,
the American men take off their hats il
the elevator when ladies were present.
seemed almost absurd, as they retain then
in the stores and "surface cars" TIL,
goods are displayed much more attractive
ly in America than with us. Their enor
nous plate glass windows, which dwar
our largest, show off the rich brocade
and illuminated silks" to advantage. Ii
large store in New York they had as al
advertisement at Christmas time the who'll
history of Columbus in life size tableau1
in the windows. Inside the stores tn,
goods" are displayed on long low tables
with the prices distinctly marked. YoI
can meet your friends and look "around'
without being molested as to what yoI
want by the "aisle manager" shop walk
er. 1t is an excellent plan, for if you ar
left alone as you pass the "notion coun
teri you are sure to purchase some trifle
The American bric-a-brac is irresistible
There is another capital institution in
large "dry goods store up town." Moth
ers taking their babies there can hav
them checked on entering, along with thei
umbrellas and rubbers, and leave them il
good hands in large room arranged TO
the purpose. When the mothers have fin
ished, on showing the number of the checl
the baby is produced. This pays well, a
mothers are often driven out of store b,
. crying baby.
On our way home-we walked, as | haC
put on my "rubbers'-I noticed that on
bright sunny street was almost devoted t.
"candy stores" and they certainly wer
J tempting. Fuller has many formidable
rivals on the other side Over these tempt