The San Francisco call., 1898-12-25

excitedly. She is an American. but having lived a number of years in Paris feels a justifiable superiority over us uninitiated newcomers. There he is" she exclaimed. 'Who?" I said. rather vicously, thinking of the black and blue spot that I knew had resulted from her very rousing pinch. Why. Mir. Whitelaw Reid!"
 T don't see him." said, looking vain ly in the direction which she had indi- cated. Right there, talking to the bald-headed man." That isn't White General Porter, the Ambassador to France"
 The Ambassador to France" she re- peated. Well, MT. Reid is the Elm bassadori"
 No, he isn't; he used to be. but he isn't a perpetual Ambassador. l see you have the Parisian idea that Mir. Reid is the only American in or out of America
 But you are mistaken" she reiterat- ed. T am sure that MT Reid is the Ambassador.
 Well, 1 am sure that he is not I said, warming up to the controversy. He is one of the Peace Commission CTS, and how could he hold two ap- pointments at once?"
 oh we'll" she pouted, very pret- tily, yielding in that peculiarly femi- nine way It's all the same thing. l knew that he was something,"
 And such is the fame of MT. Reid. All Paris knows that he is something" !" which is perhaps quite as satisfactory as a more definite glory.
 It was announced that MT. Reid would preside at the University Club dinner, which gave it in advance. from tn Parisian point of view, quite de- gree of eclat. The hour was 7:30. but at s o'clock nothing had yet been said about dinner MT. Reid had not ar rived. We were all very patient and very smiling. Tt was so delightful to meet Americans and to hear English spoken on every side, were the com monplace remarks.
 What true Thanksgiving this will be-" said lady who looked like Queen Victoria. We Americans have so much to be thankful for this year.
 I was quite sure that she was an- ticipating somebody's after-dinner speech and equally sure that the senti- ment would be much more thrilling in its proper place, after dinner. For who could respond to the most stirring pa- triotic appeal at o'clock with dinner not yet served and above all when one had breakfasted in a Paris pension. ! Ou alone WnO nave ever HNeQ Tn Paris under similar conditions will realize the pathos of the situation.
 We must have the 'Star-spangled Banner, persisted the lady of queenly presence, and My Country, 'Tis of Thee.
 began to suspect the lady of having attended 5 o'clock tea. Try as I would l could not respond with any ardor whatever. There was time when I should have attributed the cold ness to lack of patriotism. when, be it known to my shame, I even confessed that I was unpatriotic, arguing that patriotism was egotism, that a country was no better than any other simply because it happened to be my country. But now 1 know that my foreign exile has banished forever all these old-time notions. I have hung portrait of George Washington with study from Leonardo da Vinci and even Mir Me Kinley by the side of my adored Dante. No, 1t was not lack of patriotism, I was sure. The Star-spangled Ban ner' was all very we'll in its place, but how about the turkey and cranberry sauce and the mince pie and pumpkin pie,
 We have our New England ances- tors to thank for these pleasant oc-