The Minneapolis journal. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1888-1939, 1903-10-24

make any diff renee to the officers. There
was one woman t had lis mos a yard
long It she'd made out so she wouldn't
forget anythin' an she toll him bout tho
lace collar she had It she'd paid % francs
for, an the coral beads for Is an the dress
for her mother for 80 guilders an a doll
for her little sister for three shillin's. An
after the officer had made dollars an
cents outen all of the francs an the marks
an the shillin's she rem rendered t the doll
was a presen' to her sister from her aunt
in Englan' an the music box had been
sent to her brother by her uncle, an she
wanted them all added separately. I never
saw a man patienter n that officer, an
right then an there I tor Mrs. Gray not
to be 'fraid, tho I couldn't have blamed
the officer if he'd charged the woman
double. He tor Mrs. Gray she was lowed
by the gov'men' to bring in 500 worth, an
when she was nanin' what she'd bought
an how much she paid for it, he kept
sayin to her: Cant you make it a little
less, SO it would all come in the 500. I
can't conscientiously,' says she. We don't
tax consciences,' says he DRAWN pic
lures Of icebergs on his paper, an she jes'
looked at him an took long breath an
began all over again.
II dunno as anybody ever brought such
queer baggage into the United States as
Mrs. Gray. She's artistic, she says, an
she was arys huntin' for sonethin' It was
queer an diff'ren' from what other folks
had, an if you hunt long 'nough, you'll
fin mos anythin, seems If. The custom
officer looked at her artistic souv'nirs an
then he looked at her. ~.
"'You paid money for these, s'ppose,'
says he, sorrowfully. I wouldn't have the
heart to charge you duty says he, an
I dunno anybody but a junk man 'ud give
you $40 for the lot says he. Seems if
you mus value EN- pretty high, $780,
says he, a-lickin' the stamp t showed he'd
had his fingers on the trunk. ri
eve were so busy gettin' thru the Gus
toms It we didn't realize It we were on
| 'Merican soil till we were In the car
riage an Billie put his head outen the
window.
"'What county's this? says he, I
b'lieve I'd like to stay here while; seems
if I understood what folks were talkin'
| bout says he.
"'Wen,' says Mrs Gray, says She a.
| looktn' outen the other window, says she.
| it isn't as big as London, Is it? Mr.. Wood
says t you could put New York down in
| the middle of London ar then you'd have
| to SEN a p'liceman to fin New York. says
| she. It's diff rem, but dunno but what
I like it full as we'll, says she.
| YOU'RE used to it, says T. a-drawin'
deep breaths Of 'Merican air an feelin'
bigger'n had for three months. an it's
more question Of missin' n likin' 'th
what you're used to, seems if. Maybe you
don't care for bread, but you miss it
when folks offer you cake instead,' Gays
I. Breads more wholesome eatin' three
times a day, seven days in the week. says
/ I, a-thinkin' Of all the breakfas' an lunch
con an tea cakes an rolls I've eaten since
I lef' home an KNOWN how much I'd ap-
preciate some bread of my own bakin', tho
Mrs. Schultz says it's never as light as
| hers.
| II didn't realize how much wanted to
be home till I was getting near it, for
when you're yearnin for piece of pump
kin pie, you don't begin to know how
much you're yearnin' for it till you ac-
tu'lly see the pie. 'Merica looks better
n mos countries when you're away FROM
it an it looks better still. when you're
in it, seems if" -