Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1901-04-25
RAMBLING BUT CHARMING.
Miss FIutterIys Dissertation On War
and Other Things.

Among the Americans whom
Charles Battell Loomis met abroad
was one who furnished him with the
substance of a paper in the Century
entitled Little Miss Flutterly's Dis
sertation on War" 1t was on ship
board that he met ner, and he was
pleased by her pretty face and soft
southern accents.
when do you suppose the boer war
will end?" she asked
Before | could reply she went on.
swiftly and softly and irresistibly
Don't you think wars are cruel? I'd
hate to see a French war, because the
French must be awfully cruel, judging
by their cabmen. My! thei? horses
did look so tired out. So different
from the horses in Amsterdam and
The Hague. Didn't you love Holland?
SO awfully neat. The vegetables
were piled up so prettily on the carts.
That reminds me that | sGW in
paper the other day that sweet
potatoes are unknown in England.
Just fancy! Well, they're only just
beginning to use ice, they're so con
servative. You know, they think it's
bad for the stomach. | heard pa say
that he thought gin was much worse.
1t must be awful stuff, almost as bad
as absinthe. | never tasted absinthe,
but in Paris my brother Tom wanted
to see what it was like, and he had to
be brought home, although there isn't
any word for home in French. !
wonder how they can sing Home,
Sweet Home But did you know
that we haven't any word for country?
You know, the French say patrie, but
we can only say country, and Of
course that might mean the place
where you go on your vacation.
ooh, dear me, hum, my vacations
almost over, and | have had the
loveliest time. I'll have to begin
school the week after we land. | tell
mother I've learned more about
foreign countries than all the arith-
metics and grammars in the world
could teach me. What country did
you like best? l thought that
Belgium was next to Holland.
don't mean geographically; of course
know that; but it was heater there
than in Paris. But Holland was the
neatest | never forget the vegeta-
bles piled up on the carts. Don't you
think it is shocking for a mother to
smoke? Like as not when her
sons grow up they'll take
to smoking too. think it's
kind of fun, don't you know, but
awfully improper. But aren't the
French improper? | wanted to go to
some of those queer places, but ma
said it would never do! that we might
meet somebody there that we knew.
You know, we were always meeting
somebody that we knew. Why, 1t
seemed as if you couldn't go to any
large city without seeing Americans.
Awfully nice, to meet Americans, |
think. There aren't any people as
bright as Americans. Don't you think
so? And what is your candid opinion
of German girls? Don't you think our
girls are prettier? And the Dutch,
They aren't pretty, but they are so
neat. It seems a pity that the Dutch
and the English should he fighting, for
the Dutch are so neat, and the Eng
lish are our cousins, ind blood is
thicker than water But wasn't the
water awful in Holland l had to
drink mineral water all the time.
think they must use all their best
water to keep the streets clean,
| Paris seemed dirty after Holland ami
then the French horses did look so
| thin and abused. So did the Bel
gians l think they must have
French blood. They are so cruel.
those French. But the women CO.
tainly are stylish Only can't say as