The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1909-04-20

found the French ''pourboire" sys-
tenn still worse; but the incessant
! clamor Of the Italian for macaroni
money is the ultimate abomination.
The American servant expects to be
tipped, but if he is given nothing or
a smaller sum than he hoped for, it
seldom occurs to him that he has a
right to evidence his chagrin by out
ward signs. The French garcon who
sees his pourboire escaping from his
fingers discreetly presents his open
palm, and if he judges the fee insuf-
! fcient sometimes permits himself to
raise his eyebrows in a deprecatory
grimace. As for the Italian, he bra
zenly demands his 'macaroni' and
becomes blasphemous and insulting
if it is not accorded him with suf-
hcient generosity.
After our luggage had been sub
mitted to the custom officers in
spection and delivered to a dray-
man, we emerged upon the Corse Um-
berto Prima and started on foot for
not far distant hotel. At each step
we we're beset by beggars, by beggars
Of the most frightful and revolving
type, dirty, whining, half-naked
creatures Of both sexes and Of all
ages, manned, disfgured, blind, dis
eased, disorted, horrible-a condition
of affairs doubly disgraceful because
the kingdom of United Italy is now
rich enough to provide asylums for
all its crippled poor and powerful
enough with it's excellent police sys-
tenn to enforce them all from the pub
lie streets. AS We pursued our course,
an old woman, clothed in indescrib-
ably filthy rags, arose from the gut
ter and barred our path while she. tore
open her dress to exhibit her cancer
eaten breasts, and then, with her in
ficted hands, laid hold upon our coat
sleeves. A few steps further on, an
apparently ablebodied mendicant, not
content with repeated refusals began
to dog our footsteps, and my comrade
who was thoroughly out Of patience
threatened to call an officer. There
upon, the vagabond abandoned his
cringing attitude, arose tall and erect,
raised his clenched fists toward the
sky, and uttered the words, which [
translate literally:
"Thrice damned hog Of an infdel,
BY what right do You interfere win
my affairs? 1t was not from you.
unclean animal, that | was asking
aims, but from your slightly less des-
picable companion!"
The young william, a moment be-
fore as humble as whipped cur, once
convinced that his pleading was Use
less had become naughty as 5u-
perb and wrathful Roman senator.
Despite my resentment and dis
gust, the splendid torrent Of lnvee-
tive, the clear, ringing periods, com
PEELED my admiration and reminded
me Of Cicero's grafton against Cata-
line.
Ten minutes later we passed the
Piazza Nicola Amore where num-
ber of hacks and cabs were standing
idle. They swooped down upon us
like a flock of ravens, and I recalled,
by force Of contrast, the respectful
solicitations Of the cochers upon the
Partisan boulevards, the deferential
"Want-a-cab-sir?' of the London
ccabbies, AS We trudged onward, one
Of the hackmen trailed in our wake
and assailed our ears with the follow
ing reflections:
"What do you suppose carriages
are made for? Is it stinginess or pov-
erty that compels you to walk? How
can we honest and noble Italian hack
men gain our daily bread if the fores-
teri adopt such an ignoble method Of
locomotion?'
Perhaps the most aggravated Of all
these is the Neapolitan bootblack. His
name is legion. He lines the curbing
and blocks the entrance Of public
buildings. Armed with a heavy brush
he spies the tourist from afar, and
for fear that he will be passed un-
noticed begins to beat noisy, IN
sistent tattoo upon his box! at the
same time he arises and, as the IN
tended victim draws nearer, shouts
in his face an imperative and lnso-
lent invitation.
The ubiquitous peddler of matches
is as a rule simply another species
of beggar. Yesterday little girl ap-
preached me with such sweet and