The Washington herald., 1912-08-11
By Kste Carew

London, Aug. 8.
~ COURSE, my dears. I'm perfect
" devoted to London and the
~ Londoners StIl; the thought has
flashed across my brainpan several times
since I've been here that there's too much
boasting In this district about a nice. neat.
but not gaudy. little stream called the
Thames
Every one rye met has asked me, al
most before I've had time to say PLEASED
to meet you," whether or not I've been
on the river.
II seems kind OF formula: Mrs. So
and-so. let me introduce Miss Kate
Oarew," and Mrs. so-and-so. whether
she's nineteen or ninety. hardly looking
at ne. says ianguidly:
Have you been on the river yet?''
Well up to Thursday last hadn't. and
, though / knew I was losing prestige by
the minute In this town and that didn't
have any table talk or parlor converea-
ton OF interest to any one, still didn't
seem to miss the Thames much. didn't
feel that mine was wasted life or any
thing like that.
Naturally. I knew all along I'd have to
go some time. Every one does But
felt could bear putting 1t OF for a while
without eating my heart out
WHERE THE LUMiNARIEs LIVE.
However I did want to have a talk
with the author Of Three Men in
Boat and he happens to be one Of the
River Colony, which Is composed Of
writer's, artists and theatrical stars OF the
first magnitude who sojourn on the rose
covered banks of the Thames in the good
tr,a
So 1t was up the stream for your Auntie
Kate
Mr. Jerome lives at NARROW, where Mime.
Melba, Somerset Vaughan. Temple Thurs
ton, W. ]. Locke, Haddon Chambers and
our own Charles Frohman and Avery Hop
wood have stayed at intervals in their
careers.
It's a regular haunt of Geniuses and In
tellects. Why, you can't throw a stone
any distance there without breaking ht-
erary, musical or artistic glass window.
And you can't evade the river II you
want TO see any Of these Shining Lights.
for they always nestle their houses as
close to the water as possible.
Mr.. Jerome said he would receive me
IN the early afternoon. and the only train
making suitable connections went and
the hour when the sturdy Briton eats his
sucru1ent chop and auaffs his ale.
Everything pointed to the river. 1t
would have been hard to escape 1t. /
lust turned a corner and there It was in
front Of me, cunning little. twisting.
curling, silver thread. On its banks were
pretty pink. blue and white houses COW
cred with roses and honeysuckle, and on
frtp
and canoes.
All this left me quite cn:rn.
AN ENGLISH IDYL.
II was blandly attractive. with sort
Of stage prettiness that didn't make my
eyes google any more than usual
But, dear ones. Just on the other side
of a bridge was the cutest thing in inns
that have seen for a long time.
The river curled round three sides Of It.
The tables were spread out under per-
golas covered with crimson ramblers. with
shady willows towering above There was
ans ostentatious little stage weir which
tried to rush and roar, but didn't accom-
plish enough to hurt. and there were nice
friendly white swans lowering about the
banks as IL they wanted TO know you bet
ter.
Out in the stream patient fishermen
dozed over their lines. 1 don't believe one
Of them ever fooled even the most guile
less debutante fish into being caught.
Well, the name Of this refuge Of the
riverites was The Compleat Angler"
Shades Of Izaak Walton What a nook
Old and comfortable and comforting.
Said your auntie:
Me for the compleat one!"
And she hiked herself over the bridge
and made her way to the pergola most
smothered in crimson ramblers, within
sight and sound Of the weir and within
reach of the