Omaha daily bee., 1909-10-10

st. Adams in? 1t was in Hants. That much
he knew. and in that form he knew it.
Hampshire was a world and territory to
him unknown. lie brought to mind-be-
cause, as the Irishman said, he was so diff
ferent-an old English waiter and general
factotum at the Royal hotel at Slough, to
whose devoted head at least the last seven
years have not brought seven gray hairs
and who fits into his place at that inn
for though hotel by name, an inn 1t is
still-as though for seventy years he must
nave worked there, II indeed he did not
acquire his post by descent.
There's no trouble carvin' when there's
enough to carve" say he to the traveller
reluctant to tackle for himself the huge
joint OF roasted beef, red and juicy. which
takes up the places Of two people on the
long table. Later he brings your modest
bill receipted, as are nearly all the inn bills
in England, with thanks" a delicate at
tention in penmanship which strikes the
American afresh each time by its recurring
novelty. 1t is met with in the north as in
the south.
All! those inns Of the north. A feeling
Of comfort and we'll being comes over the
wanderer at the very sight of The Fox, at
Guisborough, without so much as enter
ing it; quaint, picturesque, of little stature,
with small windows, agreeable to look
upon in its coat OF yellow that some Of
our handsome colonial buildings have, The
Fox is a joy to the memory. And what
complaisance in the name-not The Fix
Inn, the generic term is unnecessary to
the Identification of the ancient hos
tlery: Just The Fox, with its old time
mount for the stage coach passengers, and
such h%oseback travellers as cared not to
vault into their saddles or were unable
to do so after the copious entertainment
Of the tap room. The mount is not a car
riage block, but a flight OF solid stone steps,
the treads followed by the feet Of genera
lions and It stands close to the inn wall,
indicating the conditions OF the days
when there were no sidewalks and the
tavern was veritably by the roadside.
There is another inn Of rugged name at
Guisborough. The Buck, but a sight OF
the titular animal over the door makes one
glad that The Fox is unpictured, while
those seeking gentler names can find The
Black Swan Inn, just over the way.
Perhaps It is the inn habit, fallen into
in rambling in the country, that leads
one back during a stop over in London,
to dine again among Americans at Ye
Olde Cheshire Cheese, which perhaps may
still rank as an inE, though existing now
only as an eating and drinking place, and
as its proprietor will tell you, owing its
continued existence. only to American visi-
tors. But it was a visit we'll repaid, this
last one TO the Cheshire Cheese.
There sat in one corner an American
couple of the type some times seen and
heard aboard in the land. She was sharp
and vCprN hnura1 anACfanlaa with
heavy gold frames. She hadn't seen forty
nor had sine long been married. He was
fat, slightly, with a voice as heavy as
hers was sharp and with that finalIty of
information that settles great public ques-
tons on the cracker box OF the Village
store. One might guess that she had the
~monCy-had saved it and that he had not
been unconscious OF the fact when he
welded her, but that he was not going to
let q little thing like that diminish his
dignity or self-esteem.
She wanted to know which corner DR..
Johnson had sat in. She was In It, but
hadn't read the tablet. He called the
waiter, a new and young one, who made
up in ~Volubillty what he lacked In instruc-
ton III that part of the history of the
place Of which American visitors are avid.
boy! where did Ben Johnson sit?'
You mean DR.. Johnson, sir"
who's he?" while the bride %articulated
a remonstrance,
Hes the man that started the English
language, sir; the other one was only a
playwright. He used to sit there, sir"
The bride looked around her, pleased, but
tried TO keep her eye at the same time on a
pamphlet which told her Of a chair OF Dr..
Johrson's brought over from the Mitre.
Where is the Mitre?" she asked.
1T isn't" said the boy.
What's the Mitre2" asked the husband.
1T vas a tavern" said the boy, and
fastened to the kitchen for more infor-
nation.