The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1906-07-18
A COIN or COURTESY
THE GUINEA OF THE ENGLisHMAN
MS tNoT$A ColNsAT ALL @ rs

Standard OF Monetary Value.
or all the obstacles that confront tho
Englshman the guinea Is the most
amazing. The other day an American
guest inquired Of me, "What Is q guin.
eaw IIc had been asked for one by a
circulating library. 1t seems On easy
question to answer, but rs I had been
puzzling over the division Of ON imagi- L
nary guinea into four parts the expla.
nation took time. 1t was rs difficult as
explaining cricket to ~German-in
German. -.-'~''
"Show me one," said tho American. !
one.
"Whnt, not $5.25"
"1cs, but not guinea. We don't |
have guinea in England any more"
but yCN talk in guineasw i
"rhnts our fun," replied lamely. 4
Nevertheless there Is something to be
said for our system. Indeed, one might
argue that this incessant obstacle race
over the multiplication tables that we
| have to enter insures braclng Of the
| muscles. We are always kept Oh the
alert to fathom the relations between
| pottle, perch and guinea or some
| such absurd and fortuitous combina-
ton. And one may suspect that this
| tightening and strengthening Of the
muscles in tho obstacle race Ia really
the source Of England's greatness.
| For all practical purposes the guinea
in which VIC tullk-is the most prcpos.
tcrously absurd coin In the world, for
| 1t does not cXist-corporenlly. Some
few honest citizens wear spade guincas
OIL their watch chains. But If they tried
to puss thcm over to the booking clerk
OH the underground railway they would
be In danger Of the Judgment. There
arc no gulncas in England. Yes, In
Imagination they exist.
And never more accuse yourself OF
belonging to an unimaglnative nation
E Of ShoplIcepcrS, Tho guinea ~ the coin
y Of courtesy, Just because 1t ls not q
. coin ut all And Its preservation rs an
anomaly Ia Il curious proof Of the In
y nate courtesy Of the Englishman, who
will face any Artthmctlcal inconvcn.
icncC rather than put Il slur on q
friend.
) This you may see from the lists Of
subscriptions for the gentleman In dis
trcss. You cannot offer him the neces
!. snrics of lifo When the friend falls
70 by tho waysidc 1t must be gulncas, not
, sovcrcigns. that you supply, and one
feels glad that tho remarks Of the
mcancst sport that cxlsts-the sport Of
=, kings--offcrs prizes in "sovs." 1t is
merely the analogue Of that convention
which regulates gifts between equals.
Etiquette forbids your sending n
| frt n 20 hot 10
g. ercign the ordinary, humdrum coin
But you may send him pheasants, oys-
q tcl;;, grouse or salmon, more especially
v. II the salmon Is the victim Of your own
"rodc, pole and perch" Possibly the
" real explanation Is that, as matter Of
; courtesy. YOU may not give man
=, what he could obtain at the nearest
w shop--it must be something that Is not
)" easily obtainaDlc.
. Now, guinea Is not easily obtaina-
blc and tho difference between offer
Ing man guinea and Offering him n
sovereign Is tho difference between
sending Il man Il leg Of mutton and
% sending him Il barrel Of oysters. That
# little silly shilling stuck on to tho SOW
~ ereiGn, that retention Of the ghost Of q
> coin long dead and borne on q watch
> chain. with the lockct containing q
y twist Of great -grcat-auntic's hair, was
- It's Significance.
It is the embodiment Of the Nngllsh-
D. mans Innate iuonlism. It is like the
p equally silly ESQ" which we tack on
II the names Of friends. There arc no
Y csquires nowadays and no guihoas, but
we sec them with the eye of faith.
f. And we sacrifice to our faith consider
!. able muscular cxertlon, many blobs Of
ink and sundry shillings that might
~ otherwise stock our houses with cheap
reprints Of the worlds best books.
You will naturally conclude that
did not put this view before my Amer.
lean friend. He would scarcely under.
n stand 1t. I led him gently to tho pala
tlul bank premises into which I hur.
riedly cast my weekly wage for fear
should loSo 1t on the way homo and
J pointed out to him lowering my voice
discrcetly, as becomes the suppliant In
the temple Of wealth..
l "Note that young man." said ''He
Is adding up three columns Of figures.
There arc gulneas, things that won't
frnterniZe with half crowns or four
shilling pieces or tlorlns or half sover
cigns or sovereigns, but you will por
celve that this young man is taking
them in his stride. Now, what about
, his musclcs?"
II should conclude" said the Ameri-
, can guest thoughtfuly, "that a young
man who can put IL guineas together
and make 'cm dollars can do any
thing"
"The guinea" I explained as we
went out into Plccadilly, "ls the source
| of England's greatness" And the
American guest remained thoughtful.
| london Chronicle. ,~