The National tribune. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1877-1917, 1898-11-17

convenient TO arrive in London early or on
Sunday because restaurants and bag
rooms are closed and the "busses
may or may not be running.
We sailed from Antwerp to Har'ich.
We called il Harwich at first. with an
added consciousness about letters
that we had gotten from the Germans;
but ticket-SellerS, baggage men and cab
men could not understand us and de-
clared there was no such place in the
geography. Finally the hotel keeper had
an inspired moment and suggested "Har-
rich. and we then remembered the pc
culiarities Of British pronunciations and
knew that "Har'ich was what we wanted
We learned To omit the w and practiced
dropping occasional letters cut OF words.
so that we might be in trim for old Eng
land.
We crossed the English Channel in a
storm Of wind and rain. and though we
are ordinarily quite meek and humble
a state Of mind intensified by our stay
among the Austrians who themselves
being in no danger Of inheriting the earth,
crushed cur jingoism in the bud-cur
pride rose, and we continually praised
ourselves that the rough, the choppy
Channel had no terrCrs for us. We rot
only endured, but enjoyed the trip as
long as we could see, and slept the rest Oh
the time during a night that tried the
souls Of the men and women about US.
When we awoke in the bright morning.
all the pretty, smiling, rosy-cheeked girls
whom we had watched come aboard were
transformed into cross, disheyelled pale
humanity. There had been no calm
much less sleep, for them the whole
night through. To most people the c an
mel trip is y hours Of total, unmitigated.
unreasonable, Notifying, humiiating I'M
pleasantness. We found travellers care
fully weighing the probable benefits and
pleasure resulting from a trip to London
against the inevitable seasickness, and
often foregoing London.
From Har'ich 10 London is a Journey Of
about two hours across a country that is
so like our own stretches Of fields, pas
lures, weather-beaten houses and barns
ugly, tall-chimneyed factories, and little
churches. that we took a rest from
sightseeing and were glad.
Once i'll London we hunted for the
breakfast and the luggage rooms: both
were closed because il was Sunday We
finally found sandwiches and coffee in a
place that was certainly no temperance
hotel, but there were other women there
there was nc place else TO go nobody
knew US, and the barmaids seemed quite
respectable. Luggage proved more diff
cult to manage, but we shilIinged "A gate
keeper INTO keeping our rugs and valises
for us and trusted to the general honesty
longer than suited our convenience. He
gave US no checks.
This faith Of ours in mankind in general
has made our iOumeyings very pleasant
and II we lost an any way by it, we do no,
know oi-it and are Just as happy. AT am
rate, We had smiles and courtesy every
where except on the few occasions when
urged 10 il by our cynical and unbelieyinc
friends, we tried TO mail fast the ar
rangements or 10 do as we were advised
before leaving America, Get ii in writing
Whenever we tried To have hard and fast
arrangements we found ourselves tangled
in fuss and red tape, and no more com
Portable an usual. When we took Tho
honesty and willingness Of Germans
Austrians, Frenchmen and Englishmer
for granted we had reasonably prompt anC
satisfactory service.
SO we carried our precious things abou
us and trusted our traps TO any lienst
man, cabby or porter who seemed anxiou:
to help US with the burden of them anC
earn honest "trinkgeid."
out 10 find hotel, and though on pleasure
bent, like John GiIpin's good wife we had
a frugal mind, and so decided 10 patronize
'busses instead Of cabs. We received dI
Teetions from an obiging policeman
London policemen are delightful--as &c
the color OF bus necessary to carry US Il
the address we were searching for, and
accordingly went up To The Bank tc
wait. We waited a half hour or so. and
finally, when another policeman drifted
along, asked him what our chances were
for getting Russell Square bus.
On, there amt likely 10 be one for an
~ nd g-ff