The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1902-09-18
Dined Out with
His Valet
Unusual Experience of a
Titled Briton in New York

IN who makes a journey to this
country has the privilege of dining
with his valet at a New York house.
But that experience recently befel
one titled Briton who came here for
the first time.
He and his wife crossed on one of
the great liners and for good reasons
kept more or less to themselves.
One cause for this was the fact that
neither one of them was able to en-
joy life at sea very much. 1t is not
difficult to see that another reason
might have been found in the usual
desire to keep away from the ajor-
ity of their fellow-men which seems
to grow stronger as Englishmen of
title leave their country behind
them.
The traveller, who was destined to
dine with his valet after he had land
ed on this free soil, saw very little
of his fellow-passengers, therefore.
With her ladyship he kept his deck
stateroom and mingled little with
the rest of the ships guests. With
one family he was acquainted before
they had met on the landing stage
at Liverpool. They were New York
ers with an enthusiastic alteration
for everything English which made
this man little less than terrestrial
god in their opinion.
But if they loved lord they were
sufficiently acquainted with all the
provisions of the book of snobbery
not to show their preference too
openly. So they knew enough to be
only polite to his lordship and hold
in check the exuberant Inequalities
that occurred to them whenever
they caught a glimpse of him or his
wife.
Smooth-faced and gray, severely
dressed in subdued weeds and quiet
and as reserved in manner as if he
had been a lord himself was his
lordship's man. He was a gentle
mans gentleman with a complete
ness that filled the phrase.
His mere appearance was so i'm
pressive that nobody would have
lllL IOl lllt
rank of a bishop-a somewhat youth
full, worldly bishop, but certainly
aristocratic. He seemed something
like that to the American friends of
his master. They made his ac-
quaintance before the steamer had
been out three days.
After 90 hours he was the devoted
cavalier of the mother of the fam
lily, tucking her into her steamer
chair with a care which she never
realized was born of long expert
ence, walking her not too actively
up and down the deck at night and
looking after her comfort in many
little ways that make life on
steamer comfortable for middle
aged woman who has yielded to
avoirdupois without a struggle. Her
son had met the man on deck, rec
ognized that he was English and
presented him Immediately to his
family.
His attentions were generally
most assiduous at night But they
were agreeable at all times. His
manners seemed perfect to the
group to which he had attached him
self. He had learned in fact from
some very famous masters just what
manners should be.
The journey ended and the friends
parted. The treatment of his lordsl. >
by the family from New York had
been so much in accord with English
instincts that he and his wife parted
from them on the day the steamer
landed with great cordiality. That led
to an invitation to dine with the New
York family. Both of the foreigners
realized that their own cordially had
prompted the invitation, so they ac-
cepted it.
1t happened that the Americans pos
sessed family name which began with
a letter well near to the top of the al
phabet. His lor6ship's initial was far
toward the other end. So the Ameri-
cans did not see the gray-haired Eng
1ishman busting among his lordship's
bags, opening them for the custom
house inspectors and keeping in
charge my lady's maid. The English
travellers came through the ordeal
quickly. so far as their presence was
required, and departed. The valet re-
manned behind to superint<nd further
inspection of the baggage
1t was in this position that hia friends