Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1902-08-22

Al Edinburgh.
One month ago we landed in Liver
pool feeling much like the traditional
cat who has left his own garnet; today
we look out upon the Sunday quiet of
Edinburgh streets and feel ourselves
quite British no longer strangers in
strange land, but grandchildren visiting
the old home. We have learned to talk
glibly of 'trams," luggage" and shook |
ing Office" to distinguish between the
"top' and the "bottom" of street
even when it is dead level; and to
balance our cash account in 1, 5, and
which is more than We can sometimes
do in our native dollars and cents.
When we mastered the intricacies of the
English coinage, ceased to confuse the
value of the half-crown and half-sover-
eign, could distinguish the two shilling
piece from the 'two and six" at glance,
and comprehended the value of ten or
fifteen shillings without dividing by four
to see how many dollars it would make
we began to feel at home; and when we
summoned courage to offer a courtly
porter, who looked as if he might be q
peer, "tuppence" instead of shilling,
for carrying our bags, we knew our edu-
cation was nearly complete.
The feeling That was the worst trial
at first. Our troubles began at Liver
pool when, four uninstructed women, We
took cab for the American Express
Company's Office in search of money,
stamps and information. Our ignorance
was betrayed when we couldn't count
the money our check called for and had
no idea whether twelve 21d stamps
? amounted merely to pennies or shillings.
? Then the manager of the office came to
our rescue, giving us lecture on Eng
lish money and sending out for all sorts
7 we might have one of each. We had
r been told that every Englishman except
I the Prince of Wales would take a fee, so
e when this gentleman went to the door
e to straighten our cab fare for US, We
held hurried council of war and decid-
< ed that we must offer him at least six
J pence and perhaps shilling. A moment
e later, when he offered to guide one of
t the party to a jewelers., "a friend of
0 mine, just around the corner" we said
r to ourselves it was pure kindness and a
j fee would be an insult. When, in answer
e to our questions, he said he would go on
l. with us to Cooks Office, to show us the
way, and finally saw us even to the sta
: ton and on to the train for Chester we
n were torn by conflicting opinions. Was
it just genuine ccurtesy,--it seemed like
that, or was he looking for a reward
;. Was he moved by pity for our ignorance
= or was it business? He was certainly
3 charming, and gentleman, how could
t we offer him money? We we're ashamed
= to do that, yet we should be more
n ashamed not to if he expected it. In an
e agony of INDIGESTION we threw the re
e sponsibility on to the doctor, who rose
f to the occasion, got the money ready
and didn't offer II to hlml Whether We
n were right or wrong is still an oper
J. question and we still wonder what he
p really expected.
o Our trip in Wales, among the noun
$ tains which are astonishingly like those
T. of New Hampshire, then down the Val
!, ley of the Wye to Monmouth and or
i into Devonshire was delight at every
u step. English lodgings" which substi
j. tute well furnished bedrooms and {
# private drawing room, where our meal,
o are all served, for the bare bedroom
a noisy dining room and public parlor of {
n hotel charmed us at once; then the rail
It way officials were so uniformly courteou!
Il and attentive and the people everywhere
IS so friendly that we felt there were M
l. criticisms to be made. We grew quit,
IS attached to the railway carriages" 81
It unlike our own cars, until one sad da,
l. when into compartment we'll filled will
al six women and their baggage, came
" bride and groom, the latter just trif
is the worse for the festivities of the day
Is No sooner was the train we'll under wa,
" than he pulled out pipe, filled it witt
if very poor tobacco and began to puff tn
A. smoke in our faces. .Astonishment froz
ID us for an instant, we glared, we got gu
lie our smelling salts, we opened the wiz
er dows-no result, he was impenetrablt
Il There was nothing to be done, it is mex
st thing to capital offence to call guar
ry between stations, so we set ourselves
n endure as best we might, trying NEAR
N while to wither him with our look
ay But it didn't work. The bride gre
al red and white by turns, she perceived
he but the man stared impassively int
le- space and at the next station Amerie
We yielded to Great Britain for once an
"a sought another carriage.
he Clovelly in Devonshire, queer lit