The Savannah morning news., 1901-05-13

went back the porter assuring me that
could find my property. l spoke a little
very bad German, but ! managed to make
the station master understand, and with
a lantern we proceeded to the railway
yard, where the carriage had been de-
tached from the train and left.
"Of course we did not find the bag,
and ! had fortunately other money on
my person, but not enough to carry me
on to Venice. We went back, and with
the porter leading the way once more
descended the steep steps and set our
faces toward the hotel. 1t was test
OF faith in mans integrity, | can assure
you. The streets were dark and at that
hour entirely deserted. ! saw an occa-
sional light far up in some attice window,
and there was no sound but the hollow
echoes of our own footsteps and the dis
tant barking of dogs.
I'VE walked and walked and walked.
| was very tired and asked every few
minutes: Are we nearly there?'
ITO which the porter replied politely:
Very nearly there madam
AT last through the darkness 1 distin-
guished the lake, and felt that we were
travelling over macadam instead of pave
ment. Then ! made out in the starlight
tall iron fence, lofty gate, and be-
yond these a shadowy mass of buildings,
the windows shrouded in darkness The
porter pusher open the gate and l had
no choice but to follow; not knowing in
the least what sort of place it might
really be-
He saw some distince figure which he
thought was a sleeping dog, stretched up
on the step before the door, and refused
to move an inch. As ! did not choose TO
wait until daylight to reassure him
walked up to il, and STOPPING down felt
it-nothing more dangerous than a wolf
skin rug, that careless servant had
left there.
Thus relieved the porter rang the bell
again and again. 1t was some time before
it was answered; but at last we heard
the shutting feet--bare feet-over the
stone tagging within. The door was I'M
locked and thrown open by the major
domo. who held above his head a flicker
in candle. His costume was nothing to
speak of. but had he been in court dress
I could not have been. apparently, more
unconscious of the unconventionality OF
his garb, and as for himself he would
have put Chesterfield to the blush.
81 stated my case. told him what had
happened to me, to all of which he listen
ed with dignity that was as good as
clothes. He said that | should have
room Immediately, so I paid the porter
and dismissed him. while the major domo,
leaving me the candle, slipped away and
came back presently, quite presenteble.
He gave me a charming room with
snowwhite bed. and a dressing table
draped in lace like an altar. upon which
were two tall candles. In the morning ]
had nice breakfast in a vine-covered
balcony looking out upon the lake
How about New Zealand?"
20, that delightful hosptable land! No
doors are shut in your face there. Even
i'm the most out-of-the-way place they
receive you with the greatest cordiality
and the accommodations are excellent
good food. clean table linen. bright silver
and good service. In China, now-away
from the treaty ports-it is Just the re-
verse. The inns are low-roofed Chinese
houses built around an open court, en-
tered from the road through gate
where a gatekeeper is on duty from
morning until night You carry with you
everything YOU Cieed-bedding, dishes.
cooking utensils, with a retinue of SER
wants
You pay few cents for your rooms,
but are expected to buy food from the
inn kitchen. which foreigners do not find
palatable. If they refuse to do this they
give offense. and II they buy it and leave
it, or distribute it among the servants,
still the landlord loses face. Even before
the present difficulties foreign patron
age was mot desired Try conservative
Chinese Inn keepers, Now. matters are
even worse.
"Once in while you come across an
inn that makes a distinct bid for the
outside barbarian and here you find
glass windows and mirrors that distort
the features hdeously. This may be
subtle Chinese irony-they are quite capa-
BILE of it-that the Western ogre may
see himself as he appears to the pre-
JUDGED Chinese.
I'm one long journey northwest from
Pekin to the Monaghan frontier, which
/ made with missionary, we were turn
ed away but once women-aand foreign
devils though we were. This was on our
return / was travelling in a mue-litter,
which goes at "a snails pace, and Mrs.
s., who preceded us. was in cart.
She was always out of sight
'At breakfast we had agreed to take
our tifiin at an inn where we had found
lodgings on the way out from PeSin. We
had arrived on the first occasion late in
the evening, and it was very apparent
then that the sury proprietor did not
want us However, after refusing to have
our servants quartered with us in the
apartments assigned us, he gave IN and
lies our comprador had told to secure
this concession we could only imagine.
"On the morning in question az usual
| soon lost sight of Mrs. s. and jog
ged along as time passed, thinking long
ingly Of the noontde tea and sesta. The
poor little mules know every inn, and
when they saw this one where they had
stopped before, they gave a joyful bray
and plunged through the gate into the
court. But the frowning, vocferating inn
keeper had the leader by the head in
minute and pouring out a flood of abuse
which, fortunately / did not understand,
backed the animals out of the gate with
vigor that nearly overturned the litter.
II was not in the least afriad of him
and looked at him quietly and steadily
until he took his hands off the astonished
mules and turned away When his rage
had spent Itself he condescended to ex-
plain to the litter man that he was en-
pertaining a great mandarin and his
women, who at any time would have
done him no credit This was pretty
rough but he said that Mrs. s. had
gone on to another inn down the road,
where / would find her.
"She too, had had mild adventures.
After being turned away as l had been
she turned mat what, In China, Is called
a camel inn. The place was so filthy that
she could not stay. mound OF refuse
was heaped beside tho door Of the recep-
ton room. and dirt and dust were every
where. She said TO Su Neah. the Num-
but / could not bring great foreign