The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-04-10
TALKS IN ENGLAND.

Avagrans traveller in England who had
the habit Of c'iltivatin& chance acquaint-
ances might be led 10 say after a time thai
nation % sailors wouh be as true a
description % the people as Napoleon
nation % shOpkeepers' You will indeed
seldom 90 far in any part % the country
without coming across some one who IL
or has been a follower u the sel.
For instance. while I waS running
through an inland agricultural district
the other day in a local train two fell
low passengers In the little compartment.
whose appearance was scarcely less rustic
and local than their manner OF speech
which reflected most purely the broad.
ancient dialect Of Dorset-a heritage from
the West Saxons which I will not try 90
reproduce with each other
in this style. overheard by mo through the
aheets % the morning paper.
Aye. II you were going 70 MadsiTa you
ought 90 make yourself acquainted with
the -. Nice people they were. 20 BE-
sure. always stopped and had dinner
with them on my way from India 20 New
York.
In the nsxt ten minutes the pair pro-
cseded 90 ramhle familiarity TO al the ends
OF the earth
Furthermore. when folded my paper
up percetved. unless was mistaken. an
American ready made suit on the fourth
occupant Of the compartment. IL turned
out he had been . -bl0sshirt.' or sailor
In the British navy. for eight yeArs. and
wa nov working on q farm In Ontario.
nom which he had como homo for .
months holiday. When asked him how
the Canadians seemed TO like newcomers
from England he replied: oh. well
enough. They call them 'broncos'
around where am. because it's q job TO
manage them. They're too bossy and
want 90 run the show according to their
own ideas
Presumably this adherence 20 his ma
tive ideas is the ground on which the much
travelled Briton IL occasionally accused
OF insularity. and IL IL To be feared that
some Britons would be quite proud 20
admit the business Of the charge. for tho
true islander Of the old school dlsdAins
adaptabllty To foreign ways a. . vice and
the sign OF a mongrel. OF this school
l recently met a hearty IL unconscious
1 example in q country alehous,.
He was sitting alone before the fireplace,
a stout. dignified figure. with a glass %
some beverage unknown nearly hid by
the huge fist which held IL There was
no doubt about him being a seafarer: the
eHdtndHeht air Of Jack in shore clothes
| hoated all about him. But he looked 90
extremely respectable that IL caused me
| hardly q moments surprise when learned
he had lately retired from an important
post under the Ottoman Government.
The Turks. IL appeared. had been borrow
ing pstty officers from the British navy 20
command some OF their lightships. and my
friend had been isolated on the Bospor,ls
with an Oriental crew for the last three
years. IL had been a somewhat silent
period for him. ~ he was not q ltnGuist. but
that did not seem 20 have troubled him.
The pay was good. and an his inborn con-
tempt for foreigners had remained intact
! throughout his experisncs he did not
suppose he had lost anything by being
unable 70 communicate With them except
by signs and half dozen words.
Did you get on pretty well With the
men under your I asked.
-Oh. yes. Don't allow a Turk no lib
erty-thAt's all. IL don't do. They wasn't
half 20 bad a. tho Greeks. though. not
one half
4 suppose they we're very religious
psoplsl'
According 10 What they oalls religion.
they Nas-Very. Used 90 say their
prayers seven times every day
Did they have carpets and PROSTATE
themselves on the deokp-
YES; and that vas how they come to
report me once 20 the Pasha. You zee.
some of EN- used 20 come and pray out
side my cabin door Of an evening and they
don't hke for no one 20 pass before EN-
when they're praying. but I wasn' {
A-eoing TO be stopped by any OF their nom
sense. | came out one evening there
was plenty Of room % pass. I wanted to
So n the lights vas burning all right
Well. they reported me To the Pasha.
He sends for me and says I wasn't 20 hurt
their religious feelings; I wasn't % come
out when they vas a-praying there. Now
look here l says 10 the drAgomAn. just
you tell the PAshA I came here 20 do my
duty by THAI hghtship. That's What
came for. to go az them lights burns
rightly. and ~on't be stopped by any
Of their huTnbuR. What do they want
TO come and pray before my cabin door
for' Haven't they three-quarters Of the
ship forrards clear 10 theirselvesl Why
can't they pray there? I'll not be put
upon by the sneakinG devils. I've como
here TO do my duty: tell the PashA that
Well. he told the PashA. and he says:
Pelky. that il All right. He ordered
them TO put their mats fOrrArds in
future.
some OF EN- tried that game on again
with me. but 10 didn't do. You see. they
said they must pray pArtikler At sunset;
not all Of EN-. that 10. but two or three
a. didn't want 70 be interrupted At thsir
knittin'. Well. sunset was just tho time
a. tho lamps 'ad 20 be lighted. and I
wouldn't stand IL. When I sees them
going for their mats I says. 'ArroEAka.'
that is. Are you reAdyl' And then.
Plintidji. that 10. Lights up They
'ad IN put OF their prayers . bit.
That was once they reported mo b the
PashA. They reported me three times
Altogether. The second time was this
way. / couldnt eat none Of their measly
food. 80 laid in my own victuAls when I
went ashore. That wasn't no more than
once q month. Well. I've q taste for a biz
a