The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1897-05-22
PARTY IN LONDON.
Taking in the Sights and Sounds of the
Great City.

An Economical Landlady-Polite Mer-
chants Who Say Please and Thank-You
"A Sunday Night Performances of the
Oratorio of EHjah-Experience With
the Bus Drivers.
St. AIMS Terrace, London, April 90
1897
Some misanthropic poet has said.
Earth is desert drear"-be that as it
may, st. AIMS Terrace seemed a veri-
table oasis in that desert, when after
two hours search for apartments on our
first morning in London, we discovered
Mrs. Davis. Such asblessed change was
her newly painted, newly -papered house,
from the dingy, musty ones we had been
looking at, vainly trying to persuade our
selves they would do. We engaged the
rooms instanter, hastily laying down our
gold sovereign to clinch the bargain, fear
ing some one would snatch them from us.
Our drawing room was carpetless, I'M
furnished, but what cared we! We had
secured home, and our obliging, rosy
checked, Welsh landlady was ready to
wait upon us down to the ground. When
we returned with our luggage at five
O'Clock in the, afternoon, Mrs. Davis
triumphantly exhibited the new carpet.
and the gaily upholstered furniture which
was "fearfully and wonderfully made. "
Springsi | We have taken turns in jump
ing for five minutes at time on the
chairs and couch to loosen them. A
moments walk brings us to the shops
where we get our supplies. Such bread,
and delicious fresh butter brought in
every dayl The vegetables beggar de-
scription. Think of us feasting on cauli-
flowers at Sd &c cents) apiece; cucum
bers, we buy by the yard, actually they
measure eighteen inches, and are nearly
seedless; we are trying every new species
of fish and find all to our taste. The
memory of our first tea in our new lodg
ings-when we returned from market
will be 10y forever" 1t being chilly
evening, Mrs. Davis had laid the fire; it
is impossible to give an idea of anything
so infnitesimal. Out of curiosity we
measured one stick of kindling, it was
exactly the length of our middle finger
and as large around as our thumb. Five
of them were laid on a piece of paper,
and on top of these rested three or four
tiny pieces of coal; it was burning to
be sure, but it was our eyes only, not our
bodies that realized the fact. There"
said Mrs. Davis depositing the scuttle
and looking at the feeble blaze with sat-
,isfaction, THAT coal will last you two
days We held solemn consultation as
the door closed behind our landlady, the
result of which was that in five minutes
we had about emptied our coal scuttle,
had a real New England blaze, and de-
cided that we would increase our coal bill
London from the top of bus! There is
nothing comparable to it, and if seat
can be secured directly back of the
driver one needs no Baedecker. We
started from Charing Cross, one sunny
afternoon, for our first drive. After we
had looked long at famous Trafalgar
Square, guarded by the four immense
lions, the two fountains sending up great
columns of water the beautiful national
gallery at the back of VIII at does it all
remind you?'' queried E. "The World
Fair at Chicago!'' we cried promptly.
Think of being on the Strand in sLun-
non, f" exclaimed Mrs. Tapley. 81
have been pinching myself all the way,
and saying Am l, or am I not l." We
left our first bus at the Bank of England,
and later took another for our first V lew
of the Houses of Parliament and West
minister. We are perfectly conscious of
our limitations SO made vow before
leaving home that we would not attempt
description, knowing what failure it
would prove, but what we omit in length
and breadth, we shall endeavor to supply
in personal sensations. AS we gazed at
these magnificent buildings, we realized
as never before the youth, the newness,
of America. No pictures. no words, can
give an adequate impression of them, and
it is only as we look, and return to look
again and again, that we can family ap-
preciate their antiquity, and the Won
drous meaning of it all begins to dawn
upon US. We are positive that the work
ing class of England must be the kindest
hearted and most polite in the world.
Since we landed in Liverpool we have
made inquiries without number, which
have been most courteously answered
and in response to our thanks we have
been repeatedly told we were most well
come, and fervently assured that it was d
pleasure to give us directions We are
convinced that we carry our nationality
not only in our faces and speech, but in
the cut of our handbags for one English
man told us anyone would know we were
Americans from our bags, they are made
so differently in England While crossing
Lombard street, we heard some men ex-
claim "Those ladies are Americans" and
as we wore wells, and-difficult as it may
be to believe-were not talking the bags
must have betrayed us. We have deter
mined not to tire ourselves at the begin