Evening star., 1898-02-12


the tourists call at the embassy, some
merely to pay their respects to the am
bassador, others to get passports to travel
on the continent. to be directed to hotels
and boarding houses, to ask the standing of
business firms, to procure passes to the
houses of parliament to palaces and cathe-
drals, or to borrow money to take them
home. All of them are received politely.
Many who cannot come to England write.
Englishmen call and write also to Inquire
the whereabouts of John Smith, their wifes
nephew, who emfgrated to America in the
"ffties," or to know why they are not re-
ceiving dividends on the stock of the Gold
Brick Mining Company, or to secure speci-
fcations as to the value Of farming land in
Barren county, Kansas, or whether 1t will
be safe to ship consignment Of goods on
credit to Samuel Slick Of Chicago.
Much of the routine work consists in
voicing polite regrsts that impossible things
cannot be done. The ladies take refusal
most bitterly to heart. A limited number
OF them can, upon nomination of the en-
bassy, be presented to the queen at each
drawing room. An unlimited number ap-
ply. Every one who draws a blank goes
home and says unpleasant things about the
secretaries, generally, for lack CT more
specific charges, that they are "un-Ameri-
can" Their husbands sometimes consent
to be interviewed by the home papers to
the same effect.
Nearly every one who comes to the en-
bassy asks to see the ambassador. All
cred into his office, for the atmosphere of
the establishment is American, while Col
Hay is credited by his Heutenants with
taking more OF the actual work into his
own hands than most of his predecessors
have done.
Mr.. HOdsOn. "Clnrk."
Every caller, however. first meets Mr..
Hodson, who Is possessed of a positive
genius. acquired through long expert of
winnowing the chaff from the wheat. Mr..
Charles Hodson is an Englishman, one of
the jolly roast-beef-plum-puddi type, but
boasts that he has lived for thirty years
on American soil, having been attached to
the embassy for that time. By official
designation, Mr.. Hodson Is what is termed
In the patois clark" but practically he is
a Pooh BAH his mind is city directory
OF London, and a code of diplomatic forms.
He has an able understudy in his son, Mr..
Frank Hodson. Mr.. Hodson senior has
stood at the elbow of several ministers and
mas In his keeping most Of the diplomatic
secrets OF generation, out one would as
soon have expected the late Capt. Bassett
to prattle about executive sessions as Mr.
aodson to convey confidential matters in
his purview. In reminiscent hours he
Will retail endless stories of famous minis
tiers. while the favored few he permits to
read poem addressed to him by James
Russell Lowell (never printeI, whereby.
IN humorous verse, Minister Lowell
charged him to forward a certain brand of
tobacco, and pictured how, should the
commission be neglec ted, his ghost with
an unlighted clay between its teeth, would
forever dog Hodson's footsteps.
Occasionally he fishes from his personal
archives a packet of letters from Mr.
Lowell written after the minister's return
to America. all classics in their way, one
OF them ending with the declaration Il
had rather be loved than famous"
Stories of Robert Lincoln are his de-
IN ha .fo
typed dialogue between the minister and
his clerk.
Mr.. H.-'There's another man here to
see your excellency. l think he wants to
borrow morey.'
Mr.. Lincoln (wearily)-"Did ne know my
father?"
Mr.. H.-"He says he did. SIR
Mr.. Lincoln-''They all did. Slept three
IN bed with him often, l suppose. Bring
him in
Callers of this class, borrowers and
cranks, Mr.. Hodson detects with eagle eye.
or course there are many deserving cases.
but there are innumerable sharpers like
one who recently brought to the embassy
faxed letter from Il fabulous American
who was incarcerated in a physicians resi-
deEce on the NEST staidly respectable street
of the city to be Vivsected the animus of
the affair being /. reward for delivering the
note.
Americans Who Go Broke.
the embassy disburse from their private
purses in the way of charity forms one
of their important items of expenses An
astonishing number of Americans "go
broke" in Europe every year. and every
man of them betakes himself to the en-
bassy confident that he Will be sent home.
There is no delusion as widely prevalent as
the myth that the government maintains
fund for this purpose. Unfortunates who
hGyy ri Ic 4lr t1 lN,,I L~,~
ways find the embassy willing to cable
home for them. Others. except particular
ly deserving cases, must shift for them
selves, though no American in real need
is turned away without the price of a
meal or two. Mr.. White, speaking of this
matter, once said:
I'VE always look out for American girls
who come to grief in London. Men can
set along in some way, but a girl might
be driven to take to the streets, and we
could not see that. So we always find
money to send them home. 1t is surpris-
ing how many American girls come to
London expecting to make their way as
typewriters, singers, at journalism or in
some other fashion. They discover that
the opportunities for work for women
here are much fewer than in the United
states. A few. very few. succeeded, but
the great majority fail"
Mr. White, it may be added though he
would probably not crave wide circulation
for the fact, keeps an account with the
steamship companies for the passages of
deserving Americans who become stranded
in London The American banking firms
here also contribute literally to this char
ity. Two or three American girls whose
marriages with supposed noblemen filled
much space in the society columns of
New York newspapers, but who discovered
later their titles were not listed by Debret,
and their castles were only in Spain. have
been consigned back to their families with
out publicity.
The labors Of American officials abroad.
it will be seen, extend into divers fields not
contemplated by State Department regu-
lations. In return therefor government be-
slows upon them the privilege of drawing
their own checks for many disbursements
absolutely demanded by their position
which other nations expect to defray from
the public treasury. They have also the
cheerful prospect that however faithful
their service and whatever their qualifica-
tions, they may be dismissed upon the
advent of a new President to make places
for raw politicians. The President looks
through the blue book and says: Here is
Spain. or China, a soft berth for some
good fellow who has swung primaries into
line, who wants leisure to write a book
or to shine in society,"" And forthwith
revolution or foreign war makes eruption
In Spain or China and American mer-
chants find their interests in the hands of
the good fellow" who, having no notion
whatever of the language or the condi-