River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-09-11
/. D;yAed Out with
Ills Valet
Unusual Experience of a
Titled Briton in New York

n OF every Eng llSIlindh OI ClC1S
~ who makes a journey to this
country has the privilege of dining
with his valet at a New York house.
But that experience recently befeI
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-
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 ow-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 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 complete
ness that filed 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, but certainly
aristocratic He seemed something
like that to the American friends of
his master. They made his ac-
uuaintance before the steamer had
been out three days.
After 90 hours he was the devoted
cavalier of the mother of the fam
fly, tucking her into her steamer
chair with care which she never
realized was born of long expert
ence, walking her not too actively
looking after her comfort in many
little ways that make life on a
steamer comfortable for a middle
aged woman who has yielded to
ayoirdupois without 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 lordshiE
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 invita- ton to dine with the New
York family. Both of the foreigners
realized that their own cordiality haC
prompted the invitation, so they &C
cepted it.
It happened that the America ms pos
sessed a family name which began with
letter we'll near to the top of the al
phabet. His lordship's initial was fan
toward the other end. So the Ameri
cans did not see the gray-haired Eng
lishman busting among his lordship':
bags, opening them for the custom
house inspectors and keeping il
charge my lady's maid. The English
travellers came through the ordea
quickly. so far as their presence wa.
required, and departed. The valet re
manned behind to superintend furthe,
inspection of the baggage.
lit was in this position that his friend
on the steamer found him after the,