The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1910-07-27

 lie on the surface?'
 "No, cannot say that. From what I have seen, they are deep"
 How deep?"
 "Of course, it is impossible to cal culate that"
 'I do not think so. What is the covering of the world here? Mud. Yes, call it another name if you like; but it is still mud. Of course, it is very useful, it grows food. Away in Africa the world is covered in many places by sand; but, it is only another form of mud. Grind 1t eufficiently fine, and it becomes slime-mud. But we must not grumble; it grows food. It is not exactly the same as you have here; but it's qualities are simi- lar. It goes to making blood, and bone, and sinew. Essentially, it is the same; superhcially only, it is dif- ferent."
 "But was thinking of men and women. The characteristics of the people who live near the Nile are different from those of us living here in England.''~
 4 Again. how deep is the differ ence?"
 "I am afraid I do not quite follow you"
 And yet the thought is very sim- pie. The sand of Sahara, of Libya is different from your Devonshire soil. Just so; but, as said, it grows food. It contains the same vital elements. The Arab is different from the Eng lishmen; yes, but how deep is the difference? His skin is darker, true; he conveys his thoughts by different sounds, true. Even his thoughts may on the surface be different; but dig down deep, and you find the same elemental characteristics. The East ern eats and sleeps, so does an Eng lishman. The Eastern loves and hates, so does an Englishman. The Eastern ponders over life's mysteries and wonders about the great un- known. so does the EngIishman. In a less degree, I will admit, but he does. Pull aside the tewdry excres- 'cences, MT. Briarfield, and all places are alike, all men are alike. All men, all climes, all ages tell the same story"
 And the story? What is it ?" ask ed Briarfleld.
 "Ah. I will not try and put that into words"
 "why?"
 "It's not worth while"
 Briarfeld was silent for a moment: he was not quite sure whether the man was in earnest or not.
 Have you been in England long?" he asked presently.
 Three months
 "In what part, if may ask?"
 London"
 And you like London ?"s
 "Yes-no-London is he'll"
 He spoke quietly. yet there was q strange intensity in his tones.
 Pardon me-" he went on after a moments hesitation, ''I do not parti- eularize when say that London is hell. It only appears more like hell than other places, because there are more people there."
 "You are alluding to the east of London?"
 And to the west. To the east most. perhaps, because the people are more real there. There is less arti- ficiality. less veneer. The nearer to real life you get the nearer to hell. And yet don't know; the same fires burn in the west, although they are more carefully hidden from view"
 You have visited other parts of England3"
 "Yes. visited"
 "And how did the other parts strike you?"
 Still hell, but duller."
 Herbert Briarfield looked towards Signor Ricordo with a kind of nerv- ous laugh. Even yet he did not know how to regard him.
 ''I agree with your-what do you can him ?-Dr. Johnson. When he was asked he would rather live in the summer, he said, on the whole, London And where in the winter 9 asked his questioner. .Ah, in winter. he said. there is no place else. Yes. London is interesting
 What Impressed you most in Lon- don?" asked Briarfield. for want of a better question.
 Ricordo hesitated a second
 'The friendliness of the walters, I think" he replied.
 All three burst out laughing.
 Good" said Herr Trubner. "Ah, it is true, true. A man walks Lon don streets and never meets a friend; but let him go into a restaurant. and the walters take him into their con- fidence immediately"
 And did you visit our national in- stitutions while in London?"
 "Yes. worked very hard. I saw everything. East, west, north, south, I went everywhere-everyw I wanted to see, to understand"
 "And your impressions ?''
 "Ah. MT. Briarfield. you ask a big