Evening star., 1928-10-14
Home Troup the Tourists
Europe Patetical Eager

they came bearing not swords but gifts
of silver and gold coinage in return for
trinkets to take home. They were out
for lark and they sang like larks at
the heavenly gates of an enraptured
and carefree vacationing.
All the way over on the boat they
had played childish games with an
enormous seriousness and asked the
crew childish questions and, over there,
they had stared at cathedrals and other
queer foreign things with the wide eyes
of children They were all children
following the Pied Piper to the en-
chanted valleys and though many
missed the sweet and piercing music
and complained about the advantages
of Carthage (Mo.) over Paris (France),
they'll go back next year Many we're
serious and sad and many saw wolves
hidden under every walters clothing,
but for the most part they were really
out for a lark. even though at times
they never found it.
Divided in Two Glasses.
They went singly or they went in
gangs, for you can divide Americans
abroad into two claSses-thoSe who Just
60 or those who 60 in arranged and
implacable tours wherein they will be in
Paris on June 20 and London on ex-
actly August 10. and no mistake about
it! The adventures with no settled
plans) played all over the deck and
tossed pennies to see whether to take
in Paris or be taken in by Naples. The
2angsters OunlesS they were very young)
at once hired steamer chairs and flop
ped into the chairs and stayed put in
the chairs like mummieS on daily eX-
hibition except during meals. The ad-
venturerS never hired steamer chairs.
They barged about and took any
empty chair and got chased out by
the rightful owner and cheerfully took
two other empty chairs. Their plans
for the Summer were as indefinite and
variable as their chairs. For them it
was much more fun to decide on Paris
and then go to Nuremberg. or plan a
bicycle trip through England and in
stead fly to Vienna. They could do as
they pleased. and they pleased 10 diff
ferent things in as many minutes.
The settled tourists had no fun on
the trip over for the simple reason that
on a ship their every hour wasn't ar
ranged and they did nothing or went
nowhere. except at the express order
of their guide. who must feel even more
serious than Noah. Yet his troubles
did not begin before the port of dis
embarkation He didn't have to answer
foolish question No. S1416 until he
shepherded his lambs through cathe-
drals and picture galleries and palaces
and other historic hangovers especially
built for the edification of later CEN
turies. No, on the ship he had his only
vacation, for the captain of the Pinafore
and the crew had to answer all the
foolish questions. which multiplied to
incredible and torrential numbers as
the ship neared European land. Can
YOU take 10. or is it so. cigarettes
into England? Can you land with 10
in France? And the good captain and
his crew answered every foolish ques-
ton with an exemplary and unbeliev-
able patience.
AS you neared land the excitement In
creased TO an hilarious pitch. Every one
did all the usual things. He collected
the addresses of every one on board.
The panic grew on the last night.
Those on Official tours started packing
heir baggage reading their notebooks
20 know whether they would be on the
Bridge Of Signs at midnight on June 30
CONTINUED on Fifth Page.)