The Washington times., 1935-10-21
NOW
London Relief
After Europe
BUT IT'S DAMP!
BY HELEN ESSARY


the maid to bring you a few
Goals"
It was back in damp, ponder
Gus London after 10 years alb
sence-back to the chimney
pots and the thick mist.
After the sunshine of the
Continent-back to the rain
dripping off the smiling Bob
bies' helmets.
After the confusion of tenn
peraments and tongueS-back
to reasonable, substantial old
London and a language that an
American can almost under
stand.
After excitable, greedy French
chauffeurs, back to self-respect-
in cabbies driving sedately
through the laundering London
traffic-driving on the wrong
side of the street, because they
see no point in changing. And
besides they get there faster
than do most people who take
the other side of the road.
There must be a great nat
Jral sympathy between tne
American and the Engllshman'
because when most Americans
arrive in London after Paris
they feel they are coming home.
The American knows, or
thinks he knows, what the Eng
lishman is up to.
In London there is less appar-
ent camouflage of food and
manners than in Paris.
A piece Of roast beef isn't
draped in carrots and mush'
rooms and seasoned out OF all
flavor. Il regret to say IN
London a piece of roast beef
generally isn't seasoned at all:
It is just pumped into a pot OF
cold water and let boil its aging
life awayO
However, it continues to look
like q piece of roast beef, and
you aren't wondering If II is a
"civet de lievre," meaning rab-
bit or, maybe, meaning alley
cat.
The English money, though
it will trip you up and wear you
out financially, looks something
like American money.
A shilling has the size and
the worth of a quarter. A six
pence is a ten-cent piece in ap-
pearance and value. 1t has none
of the deceiving way of the franc
which will promptly make you
poor if you aren't watching.
It's a pretty decent country
this England. But, even to a
homesick American, it has its
drawbacks.
There's no hot bread in the
British Isles.
They bring the limp, burned
bread they call toast to you in
little silver racks. The toast
stands upright with all sides ex-
posed to the English climate
and, so, gets thoroughly chilled.
Fresh fruit is rare here, too.
But cooked fruit comes swishing
by you in hotel dining rooms IN
big bowls on pushcarts.
"And will you be 'avin' a lit
de stewed pear, madam? Or
perhaps some of these figs?
Maybe the gOOseberrieS would
ulease you for breakfast?
(GooSeberrieS for breakfast0
This mixed fruit is greatly ap-
preciated by our best county
families, madam. Thank yOu'
madam"
! Naturally, there's no ice about
the place anywhere.
And the sheets are damp.
If YOU want a drink of water
with your meals you'll have to
ask for it.
And the coffee! 1t is quite
like mud.
The Belgian Congo coffee ex-
nert across the table from me
saws it's incredible that such
intelligent people as the British
could imagine that the stuff
they drink is coffee.
But, then, the British drink
tea and more tea. And they
have nice wines-cheap, too.
Also they have soap in their
hotel bathrooms, and soap and
nail brushes in their club wash
rooms. which seems pretty CIV
tlized after the Continent-eVen
if their coffee is gummy and
rather like their pea soup fogs.
It is really chilly in London.
The climate deserves the repu-
tation it has.
Porter, have you been having
this sort of weather for many
days."
"Oh, yes, Madam, for about
a month now. But we had fine
days for the jubilee. It's get
tim a bit late now, Madam.
You forget it's September and
the sun don't never shine very
strong in September. Does it,
now, Madam"
I like London best when the
sun doesn't shine. The miles
and miles Of solemn buildings
of Portland stone turned silver
by rain and splashed with black
shadows by SCOT from millions
~F oI,i,o,oavs ORC hazv and