The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-12-09
BY cHARLxs sArrELL LooMrs.

me III Lhoh % 8ANA ~ OSAAAOhb ~
least money. and 70 my great surprise and
qualification my gage Of battle was taken
I'D by several who assured mo hat We
had a perfect system over here and the
English system was at least fifty years
behind the times.
wonder whether any one will gainsay
nv assertion that the Englishman is friendly
10 the American ~sojourner in his land.
7 must tell the truth even though It cause
the disruption Of the armament, and Il h a
fact that the Englishman Is most friendly.
The popular impression OF an Englishman
il that he is reticent, austere and selfish
when outside OF his own family circle.
wish that I might subscribe to this
belief. 1t Is 80 pleasant to well on the
imperfections Of jewellers in other lands
than ours, but again the facts as 1 u
them prevent my picturing the Englishman
or the Briton, to widen the fseld-as any
thing but helpful and anxious to please
rangers within his country's gates.
There was one case only where the man
Of whom 1 asked for enlightenment OF my
ignorance gave merely b l asked for
and seemed afraid to do more.
He lived in Oxfordshire and We had
iourneyed in to London in the morning
IN the same Compartment duU 4 q ha0S
mental note of his features although We
we're both engrossed in our papers and did
not engage in conversation.
That afternoon ] was hurrying back
10 nv London station with an anxiety
born OF insufficient knowledge Of the dis
lance to 20. IN eloquent appetite and a
certainty that my host would begin his
dinner at the time set for it whether 1 made
my train or not.
To my great Joy on swinging myself
aboard a Piccadilly bus and making my
way to the upper seats I saw my vis-a-vts OF
the morning.
Shall we make the 5O5?" said I as / sat
down beside him. ! sensed it that he, like
myself, was going a to the place whence
we had both come that morning.
He looked ~astonished at my having spoken
10 a stranger, but recognizing In me an
American, he said. Il think So" and l sup
po-ch that we would exchange views on the
weather, the "upness" Of the street and tho
%e,lie1t points Of Great Western Railway
n~ilnagemelt.
Bit my mate was a sphinx. He had
vpIcl ,lreI his opinion as to our chance
q mr'ijng orr destination and he did not
fc,l c llled upon to become a cheerful and
chstBY comrade of mine.
made one remark. and then feeling the
frigidity OF his temper l froze up so thick
that a child could ave skated on me.
Arrived AZ Paddington station, l showed
by my hesitation that I was not quite surs
which platform was for our train. He
noticed my hesitancy and said Your train
will be on track 4. I'll show you
And he led the way, looking back from
- - -raa HoIINuTnz
All" thought I, feeling lonely and long
ing for company, -he is thswing out. IL ws
go out in the same smoking compartment I
will oTer him a cigar and learn something
OF the countryside .b~ereabouts."
But he had no wish for my company. He
wanted to see me start right because I was
a stranger in a strange land. but he did nos
wish 10 enjoy my brilliant conversation In
an accent different from what he had been
accustomed to land therefore wrong) and
when he saw me attempting to enter the
same carriage in which he was stepping
he drew back and took another.
NY kind guide" said I to myself, AN
American who foists himself upon another
is not a good representative Of his country.
Travel in solemn and lonely state II you
will. will put three coaches between u.s.
And | did.
Now, he came the nearest to being the
typical iceberg Of British travel that l have
met. But l understood his attitude perfectly.
He said to himself:
This il undoubtedly an American and
quite probably he is n OF those bunco
steerers that they hav over there. He
is not certain Of his way and / will see to It
shat HI makes no mistake; but as he Ii a
bunco steerer l will see to it that he does not
enter the same coach as !. He tried to
engage me in conversation on the bus,
although we had never been introduced.
and If I had chatted with him he would
have wormed his way into my confidence
To the extent OF getting me to lend him
IS. I will seek safety in another COACH
There was a sequel TO this.
Next Sunday mine host and I rel 10 q
dear little church in a dale and took our
seats in pews tina had seated ten or eleven
generations Of more or less pious folk.
When the time OF lending to the Lord
csme about, two persons started UP from
their pews and proceeded TO pass velvet
pouches.
The one who came down our aisle proved
10 be none other than my frigid friend OF
the bus and railway station.
had intended giving a somewhat worn
siXpence, but when I saw who 1t was that
was coming 1 wal small enough to draw
forth a half crown just for the sake OF os-
tentation, and as he came near I managed
10 catch his eye, which glanced from mine
to that Of my distinguished host.
He received the coin In his pouch and
passed on, but he gave me a look that
could mean nothing In the world but:
my dear sir. I wronged you. You are
evidently not q bunoo steerer, but a typi-
cally generous American, and the next
time l meet you win not hesitate 70 talk
IN you. Whose is a guest Of the man at your
side needs no other recommendation"
A 1 say, he was the only, stranger who
froze I'D when I asked him a question.
lot a Londoner, or a Englishman gen.
rally. know that you are a stranger-and
:ne best way TO do that is TO speak TO him,
or even let his eye rest on your neat shoes
and soft hat-and that you desire informa-
ton and he IL all eagerness 70 impsrt it. A
bus conductor carried me past the place
at which I had told him I wished to alight,