Daily Kennebec journal., 1901-07-11
FATE or THE OYSTER SHELLS.
The American Said lie Atc Them ana
the Englishman Eclicyct Him.


1.-The English people, or at least as
many of them as We meet about Lon
don, arc beginning to know us, Sa'd
the returned traveller. ''Storic6 Of wild
rcd Indians on Manhattan Island and
buffalo hunts in the adjacent territory
don't go any more.
Fifteen or 20 years ago you could
stuff em with any kind Of yarn. II
the scene was laid in the United States
and the actors were Americans. NOW
you are apt to get laughed at II you
spring any dime novel stot)t3 on the
average man in the street.
"Oncc when | was in London on a
business trip ] was seized with great
longing for oysters. Visions Of them
broilcd. steamed and on the hall shell,
such as used to cat In New YORK,
Baltimore and Washington. haunted
me every time I sat down to a meal,
but none of them ever appeared on
the table English friends assured
me that / could get them IL l went II
the right place. but / never succeeded
in getting any of these men to give mc
the address. One day started out t.
in the Strand / found what was
looking for. II was a typical London
eating hoiise, but the sign Oysters in
Every style reminded me of home.
entered. and, as a feeler, ordered a
dozen on the half she'll The waiter
who served me was as solcmn as q
bishop.
s'"The oysters he brought me were
the smallest and meanest locking
bIvalves | ever saw. They had a
shrivellcd- d-up. forlorn look about them
that was not at all tempting. and there
was nothing in thasfaste of them to re-
mind me of the delicious Blue Point OF
the more robust Rockaway.
when / had finished eating them
thought il would be good idea to
carry away the shells TO show TO my
friends at home. They would serve as
a warning TO any one intending ia
cross the ocean against oysters as
they wcrc served in England's capital
So wiped the shells dry with my nap
kin and slipped them into my pocket
When the solemn looking waiter re
turned to take tho rest Of nv order n,
locker first ~ my nate and then at me
Then b" glanced about the floor on bod
sft'i ~ Uls filsf ana ltiiItJ EIDNiftU df.
looked under the table.
suidly.
q" 'Bc; pardon. sir; ho said. but what
become RI the shells?
Do YOU mean the oyster shells
asked without any particular how Of in
tcrcst
Most certainly. he returned again
p"kine his head under the table. INT.
most strange whatever has become OF
them
A, IN, hing strange about it. I sal
Hate thcm,' NJ cried. his eyes bug
inE. YOU must De Joking. sir.
Not at all | went Oh. Everybody
in America, where | live. eats the shel
az well as the oyster. In fact. III some
RI the states they throw the oysters away
aud eat the shells alone. In Gcog.a thcy
cat them with clay.
''Th" walters Jaw dropped ana MS eyes
continued tn bulge. He was ~ nustcrc.
that hc lui his orders mixed and brought
me til" frod inteudc! for somebody cisc
Hr rot things straightencd out after q
while. Int the look Of dumb amaZcrn.n n;
never !cIt his face.
"Nftcr | had eaten the meal glanced
lcisur"ly around ana saw With surprise
that "vcry cyc in tho rlaC" was fastened
IN mc- The waiter who served me was
talking tn tho man AT tho desk. who
aftcrwlrd learned, was the proprietor
ard hc was craninc his neck to get a look
at me.
It's the shcll that's bothering them
| said to nvself. We'll. III keep then
guessing q reward for the measly oy-
st"rs they gave me-
When | started to go out the proprio-
tor was standing At the door"
~ word with you. sir he said. po-
What is it, inquired. innocentIv.
The money gave yoI was good trust?'
Indeed. il was, he replied. 1T WASH [
ahont the money wished to speak, but
about the oysters
oh. about the shells. | suppose. |
SAID carci"sSly. Your waiter seemed sur
prised whom told him ] had eaten Them
ii before.
Its very common thin in America
! SAD, ana went ms way.
Nearly every day for three months |
went 70 that eating house for bite at
noon ana there was always q gathering
Stcrs. shells and all. OF course ! never
ordered any more on the half shell he
cause was watched too closely TO slip
the shells into my pocket. | told the PRO
prictor that the English oysters weren't
Dig 'nnlSh tn suit me. He offered to
Try 10 get some of a larger size hut
Wouidn hear of his going to the trouble
tsN, ry timC Ia talked to me. and thai
WAS nearly every day. he managed to
brinE the conversation around to America
IN general ana the dcvouriug of oyster
smells IN particular. | found him to hc "A
man OF more than ordinary ttlliEeuca
Moreover. he possessed a fine fund Of
common sense But there was no warn
about america and Americans he
Wonldnt swallow without question
me dtN before | was to sail for homc
! went around to the eating house for my
laSt visit and when ! was going out bid
,;opd-by To the proprietor. Then | put my
hand IN my pocket and pulling out the
II identical shells ] had taken three
months before, laid them on the desk be
fore his eyes
couldn't so away without mailing y
onieSS'ion. said Here are the shells
dldn,t eat them at an but carried them
away in my pocket
Well, what do YOU think? He simply
They had all got il fastened
n their minds that il was the custom III
America to eat oyster shells and the cvi-
tencc | produced was not sufficient IL
make them believe otherwise But thai
was a loi:S time ago. ! don't think vou
such tale now
To ESCAPE, DRONNINT