The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1910-12-26
KNOW CHRISTMAS In LONDON?
No? WELL, LET 4 TRAVELLER
TELL YOU ABOUT IT

And Contrast u With the Coed Cheer Of
One In New Serk the Glsbe Tvotter's
Ftrst Experience with Cheeriess lm-
nSa-Huat for . shySe ana . Meal.
A man who has spent 20 much Of his
time travelling 'hat he has few friends
here was discovered sitting in the lobby
OF the Waldorf yesterday after luncheon
smoking cigar and apparently in happy
frame OF mind.
With whom did you eat your Christ
mas luncheon?' he was asked.
| With myself. am never lonely
when l can eat q Christmas dinner here
l can see human beings about with the
same speech a. myself. and can talk
to one OF the clerks or q manager. and II
| want TO buy q drink can get it.
a solitary man can manage to have
pleasant Christ mas in New York. even
| IL all his closest friends are away He
can get square meal at any time Of the
day he wants il: he can go to the theatre
in the afternoon. il Christmas ia q week
day. and he can 60 again ut night IL he
wishes. while on a Sunday night he can
so To a music hall New York is all right
I in that way in spite OF all you read about
its unsociability.
London is the place don't caro- to
get caugat in. It's happened several
times. but 1t won't happen again il can
help IL. the first Christmas | spent
in the bloomin' town will always remain
absolutely the drcAriest experience Of
my whole life.
1T WAS my first trip to Europe. For
two weeks ] was busy in the Paris Office
of the firm. and then I was sent suddenly
across the channel landing in London
on the night before Christmas eve II
was raining heavily. and | was ths most
home-ick ctiss | ever saw didn't know
a thing about the town. and il was not
t,ll the next day thai I could find our
London manager. an American. He was
slipping over To Paris that day. for he
knew what a London Christmas was
and he said | could occupy his fat in
lermyn street while ne was gone. Well
he left behind 40 much correspondence
and other work for me To attend 20 that
IL was ; o'clock on Christmas morning
befor. turned into bed.
Il awoke while IL was still dark and
looked at my watch by the light Of
match. IL was IL O'Clock noon on Christ
mas Dav | got UP and looked out of the
window and saw that a heavy smoke
was over everything and ! act IL down
as n real London pea soup e1tingiiisher
and rang for the valet who Was attached
TO the house. | had headache and was
feeling blue and not hungry. So told him |
TO bring me a cup Of COTE. and let it go
at that The stun h. fetched me tasted |
like diluted mud and did not attempt !
tn swallow IL
Then | thought would shave | !
looked about and searched through nv |
bags and trunk. but there was not sign !
Of a razor After an effort | remembered !
that ! had used one Of my collection the |
morning before | left Paris and must /
have left the lot on the bureau Of my !
room over there. By the time / was
dressed. and as the fog was lifting. de- !
cided | would go out and look for barber /
shop.
There was a BARRIERS pole around /
the corner in the Haymarket. but tn. door /
Of the shop was shut After a few minutes /
| found Piccadilly Circus. but there was
not pole in sight went up to a police
man and asked him wher. could get a |
shave
A shyye2 Bless me. SIR. wot = that
Aoh you mean you wish 10 get shyveci
Well. sir. l dunno a. 'ow you could manage
IL This il Christmas Day. sir. and there
be no shops open
NO barber -hops?'
NO. sir. this is a holy day All shops
keep closed. Stop n bit. sir perhaps
il you take keb ami go up Ugh 'Olborn
wy you might strike one Seems To me
1 recoliect seeing one as came along
a while back
L didn't want to ride. 40 he directed
me went up Regent street and found
oxford street a. he had directed and
walked along scanning the streets on
both sides. Occasionally | saw a striped
but at the point where Oxford street
changes its name I took the street that
goes up on a slant. and when | found
myself was we'll ON the way 10 Highgate
There is always one thing I have
IL he cannot direct a stranger the way
about IL you get him out Of his own re-
-tricted path. I asked some six persons
To- direct me how TO get to High Holborn
and went wrong a. many times until
gave up asking questions and started
To find 10 ON my own hook. In a few
minutes I saw the sign staring me in the
face. But walked its entire length
and across the viaduct and searched
about. but nothing more than the sign
Of barber could find.
BY this time IL was a little after ri
D clock and suddenly began to feel |
hungry. I decided TO put
III the search for a shave and get som.
Tood I soon found an eating house.
,ui ID was closed I walked about for
.wo solid hours. trying doors Of restau-
ants. but finding them all locked Finally
asked n policeman why " was and he ,
'aid IL was according 70 Law on Christmas
Day a restaurant had TO be closed from ,
10 O'Clock in the afternoon I had i
ust missed getting a meal by a few min
ties
The policeman did not tell me. as he
night have done. that could have gone
n n railway station and 40 n traveller 4
iemand that food be served mo in the
restaurant attached thereto 30 I was Z
bout she nearest starvation I over was
devoted myself tn a renewal Of the
earch for barber shop. and IL was nearly =,
o'clock when had got back into Oxford .
treet that ! made my last inquiry OF {
policeman n
10