Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-15
LETTER FROM LONDON.


English Press Toward America Picturs
esque Scenes Abundant Harvosts.
London, Aug. Is.
Dear Free Press: An American i'm Eng
land this season has II new sensation, He
reads the American news In the English
newspapers with some satisfaction. Not
only Is the tone friendly, but the facts
are given accurately and without bias,
and the comments are intelligent The
older men one meets do not so readily
exchange cordial sympathy for the tradi-
tional British hautcur. but most of the
younger men are not only thoroughly well
informed on American matters hut
heartily side with us in the great issues of
the times. The only exception l have
met with is a very clever popular ora tor
In the employ of the Primrose League
who said to me: II doubt the sincerity
of this friendly talk on the part Of you
Americans. Wait till the next presiden-
tial campaign and see If both your re-
publcans and democrats do not twist the
lions tail as usual in order to catch
votes"
Burlington pcoplo will envy us the
pleasure of hearing Dr. Watson in his own
pulpit But in Liverpool he is not DR..
Watson nor Ian McLaren, but John
Watson" You must inquire for John
Watson's church" said man in the tram
car | think l can say deliberately that
man than Ian McLaren in his books His
thought was fresh and original; his feeling
genuine and deep; and the use he made
of his text and his thought and his feel
ing was in the highest degree spiritual
and moving. The congregation was large
and should say unusually intelligent and
devout. DR.. Watson we'll remembered
Burlington, aud spoke most cordially of
the people he met there. He said he often
told in subsequent lectures the story of
the Burlington woman who said she was
not Scotch had neither n Scotch father
ror mother nor any known relative, but
she had u nurse whose parents were
Scotch.
For many years English friends and
travelled Americans have been constant
ly saying TO me: An but you should go
to Devonshire." / have been to Devon
shire and hereafter / shall say to my
friends "Ah, but YOU should go to Devon
( hire" In this phrase Dcvonshire means
several things. 1t means the rural beau
ties Of the agricultural parts, rich fields
set about with hedges and hedge row
elms; dark red broad-horned Devon ca;-
tie. fruit orchards. woods OF oak and
sycamore pretty winding ,anes. 1t means
picturesque old seaport towns like Bide-
ford and Clovelly. and modern pleasure
resorts Ike llfracombe and Westward Ho!
1t means cliffs and hcadlands, and deep
narrow valleys between towering mills
and moorlands purple with heather and
swept by ozony breezes. And perhaps
more than all II means the associations
which romance has thrown around it.
associations of adventure, and love and
patriotism, appealing to every true and
natural heart in the pages of Kingsley
and Blackmorc. What Burns and Walter
Scott have done for Scotland. these two
FL glish writer's have done for Devon
shire Who ever read Westward EIo! with
ont longing to see Ridford and Clovelly,
or Lorne Doone without planning for a
visit to the Doone Nallcy-or who ever
visited these spots without reading or re-
reading these wonderful romances? Nor
does 1t much matter that the ina ginative
and the real scenes do not always agree
that the ship Inn" at B!deford is a
rather commonplace building and the
water slide in the Doone Valley not so
steep as we had fanciod 1t, there is so
much else that no description could even
remotely approach! All, yes. yon should
see Devonshire.
! We shall not sell England as much
wheat as usual during the coming year.
Harvest is now in progress, and amid
ideal harvest weather, an immense crop
is being gathered. Passing through the
country you hear on all hands the click
of the American reaper. The estimated
average yield is about 30 bushels of wheat
to the acre, full 30 per cent greater than
the avera 90 OF our Western states. But
an American can't help plying the Eng
lish people-especally the poorer class
in the matter of fruit. What rubbish they
are now selling at the fruiter's for APP
ples--worm. spcckod wind-falls-at cents
per pound-commended to buyers as
home grown" British fruit" etc To-
matoes are grown only under glass and
sell at our winter prices. We are are
wondering If fruit will be as delicious as
we row think 1t will when we get nome
wh,rc il Is good and cheap. But in flow
els the Englanders beat us out and out
especially In roses, There seems to be
something in the climate especially fav'
orabie to the rose We visited yesterday
the famous rose premises of Messrs. Pau
at Waltham Cross where we saw roses
by the acre in something like 200 varietie!
all In bloom, and, in spite of the drought
in sumptuous condition. There is som,
meaning In the rose being England's ma
tonal flower. Every ;sngli shman love,
It and it he has not q garden to grow 4
in. he trains 1t over his cottage door Of
, covers his wall with II. Cottagers com
pete at the prize rose shows and carr!
off no contemplate prizes. | wish w
Americans had some national flower tina
we could so love. and into the erowins
of which we could put 50 much heart.
Nj. II. B,