The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-03-05
WILL SEABROOK'S TRAVELS
X X X X X x X X X X X
(By W. B. Seabrook. J

(By W. B. Seabrook.)
Special 20 The Herald and News.
Miramas, France.-America is the
greatest and 'happiest country in the
| world. The contented citizen, who
has lived his whole life through be-
meath the protecting shadow Of the
Stars and Stripes, though he be the
Aeenest observer and most ardent pat
riot, can never appreciate tie fnl]
measure of his blessings. He cannot
comprehend the value Of his heritage
because he sees it at too close range.
Distance is the prime essential Of
just perspective. All truth is rela-
tive and the simplest fact can be un-
derstood only by comparison with oth-
er facts. America is one fact; Eu-
rope is another; the two are separat-
ed by an ocean, separated fglcative-
ly as we'll as literally.
The real American is the working
man, the sturdy, honest laborer, the
producer; the real European is the
peasant; he also labors and produces,
but his labor is rendered bitter, often
hopeless by the weight of two terri
bic burdens, the tradition Of feudal-
ism, ant, the insuficiency Of land
area. From purely, practical, per-
sonal standpoint, the questions Of po-
litical and social liberty are vital on
ly for the lower classes, and today
differences of country and government
exist only for them. The rich are safe
under any government. A millionaire
in Russia or Turkey enjoys the same
liberty, the same privileges, the same
luxuries, the same exemptions as a
millionaire in New York. Further
more, as every tourist knows, the
daily life of the upper classes has be-
come, generally speaking, the same
everywhere. Every first-class hotel
is cosmopolitan: the Waldrof at New
York; the Imperial at London; the
Reguis at Paris, are alike as three
peas of the same pod. The Prince of
Muscovv, the French Vicomte ard the
Wall street broker wear the same cor
rectlv tailored broadcloth, the same
Data11t leather shoes, and the same
stove-pipe hat.
With the peasant it is different; he
has inherited the characteristic dress.
the customs, the heavy wooden shoes
and the still heavier taxes Of his an
cestors. For the past week, L have
been sitting quietly in the chimney
corner Of an humble little Provencal
inn. watching the freight flicker up
on the wrinkled faces of these unhap-
py toilers of the globe, as they drag
out their pitiful and uneventful lives
from day to day. I want to describe,
very briefly, three or four incidents
which have impressed me most deeply.
This morning, shoftly before noon,
I was attracted by Il commotlon not
far from the doorway of my auberge.
An old man had slipped upon the icy
pavement, and lay face down Ward !n
the slush and snow; gendarme
quickly pushed his way through the
crowd Of gaping women and children,
and not without difficulty aided the
victim of the accident to rise; his face
and beard were covered with blood,
his thread-bare garments vera vet
and muddy, his sabots had fallen from
his chilled feet and he stood breath
ing heavily, bewildcred, shiverlng
emaciated. half-naket. ii tic etreet
He seemed to be least = ar 81 years
old. and was very feeble. Turning
toward the officer who had assisted
him. he articulated in tone OF
mingled petulance and resignation:
"You are very kind, monsleur-but
it was not worth the trouble
thought tt had reached-the end of
nv Journey And without gasp
he sank lifeless to the ground. In
truth. he had reached his journey 5
end.
The body Was dumped into a cart
and transported to the town hall, wit
nesses were sought to establish the
identity Of the deceased, ard this al-
ternoon a coroner's inquest Was held.
The process was public, and the facts
established were as follows:
Pierre Gebhart was the old man :