Hopkinsville Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1889-1918, 1902-10-14
Dined Out with
His Valet
Unusual Experience of a
Titled Briton in New York

1 /
MOT every Englishman of title
IN who makes journey to this
Country has the privilege of dining
with his valet at New York house
But that experience recently befel
/ one titled Briton whO came here for
the first time.
BE 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
neitheY one of them was able to en-
ioy 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 major
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 a terrestrial
god in their opinion.
But if they loved a 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 exubsr9Rt 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 complete
ness that filled the phrase.
His mere appearance was so i'm
pressive that nobody would have
taken him for anything under the
rank of a bishoP-a somewhat youth
full, worldly bishop, hut certainly
aristocratic. lie 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 20 hours he was the devoted
cavalier of the mother of the fam
lily, tucling 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
E little ways that make life on a
2 steamer comfortable for a middle
d 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
u presented him Immediately to his
r family.
# His attentions were generally
10 most assiduous at night. But they
I. were agreeable at all times. His
manners seemed perfect to the
Il group to which he had attached him
II self. He had learned in fact from
r some very famous masters lust what
h manners should be.
+ The journey ended and the friend.
IL parted, The treatment of his lordshir
= by the family from New York haC
J. been so much in accord with Fnglisl
e instincts that he and his wife parted
from them on the day the steame,
landed with great cordiality. That Lee
to an invitation to dine with the New
York family. Both Of the foreigners
1t realized that their own cordiality ha,
prompted the invitation, so they &C
cepted It.
It happened that the Americans pos
sessed family name which began witt
a letter well near to the top of the al
! phabet. His lordship's initial was IA
. toward the other end. So the Ameri
cans did not see the gray-haired Eng
Is lishman busting among his lordship'
Y bags, opening them for the custom
house inspectors and keeping Il
charge my lady's maid. The Englisl
, travellers came through the ordea
- quickly, so far as their presence wa
= required, and departed. The valet re
7 NAMED behind TO superintsnd turtle
7 inspection of the baggage.
1t was in this position that his friend
on the steamer found him after the
had finished with the revenue officer
L, and were walking toward their car
u riage. 1t was most auspicious pos
for him TO be found in. Scatttre,