The Washington herald., 1909-06-27


tit0l time. ! hope you are So she
had her way, and / am perfectly sure
that every one who received her greeting
was the better Tor Il. BY the way. there
IS sequel 70 the story OF the surly beast
who glared az our good angel with dis
courtesy, IL was a day or two after that
We came upon him and his party seem
iRgly stranded in the middle OF the road.
one OF the women was stretched out on
the grass by the roadside, the cushions
from the machine under her head, and
helpless lot of people standing around
the prostrate figure. The woman was
evidently in a faint, and our hostess. as
soon as she took IN the scene, gave a
sharp order 20 our chauffeur 20 stop. Her
husband demonstrated. de recognized
ia the distressed man the curmudgeOn OF
the few days previous. but the little lady
was beside the sufferer before be had nm
lshed his warning. Then followed a Sc
rious half hour. our hostess doing, direct
ing. ordering. as imperiously as though
she was the chief OF a hospital squad. At
the end OF that time the fainting lady
was back IN her seat IN the automobile
and the curmudgeon was our friend for
life The moral of the story is that II
does not do TO treat a fellow-automobilist
with scorn for policy's sake. II for no
other, for who knows how soon you Will
need his assistance?
The visits at country houses worried US
a great deal, for it seemed as though we
could not make a quid pro quo. When we
arrived at one OF these palaces, errone-
ously called cottages. the whole house
turned out TO receive US, and small won
der for IN our two magnificent cars and
with our handsome women and our deb
onair chauffeurs, TO say nothing OF
the men, we made a rather imposing
showing. We generally stopped for the
night at these places, and everything pos
sible was done 10 provide US with a good
time. The telephone was put IN active
commission, the neighbors were invited
to come and inspect Us and incidentally
70 help in our entertainment. and there
was much merrymaking until we started
our "honk, honk'' again in the morning.
Now. everybody knows that in society
1t is give and take. and IL puzzled US TO
know how We could promptly evidence
our appreciation Of the hospitality We re-
ceived. for a tardy acknowledgment is
worse than none. So we hit on the plan
Of appearing IN the vicinity OF the house
where we had been entertained within
week after our visit and. ladened with
stores from a nearby town, TO invite our
friends and erstwhile entertainers 10 an
al fresco luncheon that left nothing 10
be desired. for the little lady was as much
AT home in the woods as she was IN her
own drawing-roOm, and the best part Of
our feast was the welcome she extended
and the bright things she said
When We stopped AT hotels there was a
great question about tipping the servants.
Should each and every one OF Us tip, or
should we leave this duty in the hands
OF some one person? We finally decided
10 give the matter over 10 the chauffeurs.
both Of whom were. by the way, college
graduates, who possessed the knowledge
and the conscience TO do the right thing.
Let me say right here that We never re-
gretted this decision. nor. I am sure. did
those who were benefited by II.
Another question we discussed was
about obeying the laws Of the States
through which We passed. We had speed
ed now and then. and we had refused 10
stop when held up. but it always hap
pened that we were caught In the end,
and il cost Us money 10 get on, so we
finally decided that as a matter Of policy.
II for no other reason, we would strictly
observe the laws. We hear and read much
OF robberies in the West OF trains. stages
and automobilists. but IN the New Eng
land country We met no Jack Sheppards.
for in that welI-ordered locality when
man cannot give a good account Of him
self he IS clapped into jail.
Now and then we were inveigled into
giving a hobo a lift, but he was sure 70
be such a well-disgUised hobo that no
one would have suspected his profession.
Z
70 the next town. whittier. he said. he
was going TO fetch a doctor 70 his sick
sister. on the way he entertained us
with the most marvellous accounts Of
his life at home and abroad. Baron Nun
chausen would have turned over in his
grave with envy II he could have heard
the tales that man spelled. and when his
true character became evident we had
all OF US become so attracted 10 the fel-
low what il was hard for Us 70 admit that
he was only a knight Of the road.
1t does not pay. however. 70 be surly TO
these people for there is the greatest
camaraderie among them. and they are
sure 10 pass a word along that Will some
time and az a most inopportune moment.
result in your undoing Civility Is the
gold coin Of society. and II is as much
appreciated by the lOafers OF the high
ways as it IS by the diplomatic agents
from abroad Il forms barrier and a
protection more potent than was the
great wall Of China, and II frequently
accomplishes more than could all the
ornaments in the world. SO whether you
are luxuriating on the cushioned seat OF
a $4,000 automobile or doing the road for
yourself for a change. keep a civil tongue
in your head.
What 20 carry IN the way Of eatables
IS always a question that confronts the
automobilist, for there are few COM
Portable. attractive. and convenient road
houses such as are 10 be found in the
most infrequented part Of Europe. so the
motorist is apt 10 load his machine down
with too many well-hned hampers. which
IS a great mistake. What every one
should carry who goes for a long trip is
a perfectly equipped tea basket and a
coffee machine. several tins Of different
styles Of biscuits. a few timed rellshes
such as sardines, shrimps. and salmon,
good olive OIL. and vinegar These stores
win furnish a quick luncheon ar any
time, and the farmhouses and villages
that are passed can be depended upon for
egss, milk, and fruit We were most for
tunate IN this regard last summer, and
some Of the bucolics who helped replenish
our larder refused 10 accept any pay; but
we were always able 70 show our appreci-
alton in some way. No amount or money
would have delighted the old farmer who,
when he had no milk IN his dairy. in
sisted on milking his pet Alderney IN the
middle Of the day that we might not be
disappointed as much as did the ten
mile ride on which we took him and his
three red-cheeked, bouncing daughters. So
grateful was he, indeed that he filed our
machine with more apples than We knew
what to do with, and with some persua-
7 ful~ ha har foI