Show 6 LONDON jan 2 1893 1 I found him all alone at a table in a anuar little restaurant of shadow shadowy mercery lane at ancient canterbury he he was a mite of a thing but an old young lad deemin seemingly dollso already reacy broken by all the sorrows of desolated old age his attire was rich but his back backlas bac kwas iwas humped hi his le legs a were crooked and spindled fisl ahe Ns were sunken and his eyes were crossed and queer teats tears were silently trickling trickling down his face I 1 could not eat my foo food until I 1 had asked him if he was in trouble oh sir air he said in the sweetest tones I 1 ever heard heard from a boys lips and as if completely overcome dy by his situation and unexpected human sympathy 1 I wish I 1 was dead and buried pressing him for further explanation with the hope of allaying his childish troubles he continued in a scared hunted way 1 I am lord they tell me but I 1 never saw my father my mother is a beautiful lady but they only only let me see her once a year and then she cries and I 1 cry and ivis it is dreadful when she goes away may be you 0 u saw nurse digby nurse di digby b minces minds me and they make me live WIT with her er and say she must keep me until I 1 am a great lord but she drinks and beats me ashes drinking today to day sir air and im sure shell almost kill me oh sir air do take we me to america and let me be plain and rough and happy like all the boys I 1 seel there she is sirl sir please please dont tell her sir air As he piteously spoke a huge mountain of flesh slid down a stairway and reeled into the room it was nurse digby her dress was disheveled her wrappings were upside down her hat a tossing sea of feathers and flowers was very much awry she was more than 49 cheery 11 she had passed the quarrelsome stage of drink into the region of bland beatitude in a moment we fortunately got the best of her native suspicion and cunning she embraced me as a reward for suppositious friendliness nesi and it was somehow made clear that little milord had been brought down from london ostensibly for a houting and to visit the cathedral but in reality that nurse digby might revel with such as she in the brave brew fair hop laden kent Sh a diar dear she blubbered in turn talling tailing upon little milord in imbecile protestation of affection di Dig byll stan by a dear agin sho sh will m alord lord A sous sousan an diers couldn coulden part ush not hunner sousan ehrett hickl hick dear gente Gen lm shears hears me hie it then nurse digby fell in a mass upon her charge the little nobleman shrieked with fright and pain and his tormentor rolled into a comfortable ball beneath the table casting all thought of my own visit to the edral aside I 1 at once summoned a carriage got the deformed boy and nurse digby into it drove through the quaint old city up the winding hill to the railway station and never left the ill assorted pair until I 1 had seen them safely in the he carriage of a london bound train but I 1 can never forget that poor lads pleadings that I 1 should rescue him from the living death of his hopeless environment and his white desperate face as he crouched in his seat like a scourged urged soul still appealing while watching the human animal his endless tormentor tormentor as she ahe lay ilay in temporary harmlessness upon qt th the compartment floor 1101 trw oh sir air I 1 shall remember you if I 1 live to be a great bredt lordt lord were his last words that I 1 heard as the train rolled away the hopeless tragedy it all re healed has never left my heart and all that sunny afternoon in old canterbury town the brasses and effigies effi gies of the great cathedral could only be half discerned through the mists of ever gather ing tears anif if your travels ever bring you du along the highways and byways 0 of I 1 Brit brittany tay you must never expect hospitality of the peasant people it is the only foreign land in which I 1 have wandered on foot where the stranger and especially the american stranger is not we come among lowly folk with unquestioning cordiality and an almost affectionate regard call at a roadside cottage in brittany and ask for food and a nights shelter and the whole family will crowd into the door to obstruct your passage then they will silently and sullenly look you over whither from whither bound if a foreigner they are even shrewd shred enough to demand your passport no vagabond deserter nor ticket of leave man will they harbor finally assured you are re none of these they set about bargaining for the last sou ou they can wring from you the food you are to get to the very color of the coffee is set powerfully against your our money their own poverty their bewildering number of children the lonely roa road 5 to the nearest village inn the fact that at the next cottage they would probably m murder u r as well delfas as take you in all ant and m much u ch more is set forth to make your bargain a hard one so too the toothless 01 old d peasant hag mother while eyeing you askance croons to her husband a running fire of objections to the arrangement a few of which set you down to your face as a villi anous spy some wretch that has cheated the gibbet and certainly no less than the thief of breton horses who was caught and flog flogged gred at the last horse fair at la folquet they are shrewd and canny these simple folk and they will make you very miserable until the price is set and paid down in hand for they will not trust you with the suin sum until morning lest your appearance belie your ability to pay but the lugubrious transaction once settled and a few sous scattered among the children which are immediately snatched away and hidden in the farmers strong box the atmosphere suddenly changes you are the guest biow all the inn keeping politeness suavity and attention of paris itself are yours and until you leave every soul in the cottage puts every other duty aside to minister unto your wants and comfort there is a glib tongued raven the pride of a certain otherwise delightful old fashioned inn beside covent garden london much frequented by americans against which many of us who have suffered from its matir i ill timed speculations and malediction male dictions s possess assess feelings far from a benign and friendly friendly character the Thi morning after my first arrival at this hostelry I 1 wished to take an early train for brighton and as no one save costermongers and market porters is astir in london before eight or nine I 1 was compelled to awaken and gt get away without the pleasant formality of being called anxious to not miss misi m my train I 1 hastily descended to they office ace floor here I 1 found the street r door ajar but the dining room the office the reading room and apparently all the minor offices were still closed and dark and no servant whatever what ever could then be summoned by call of voice or bell the idea of leaving the hotel without reporting the fact worried me I 1 began tiptoeing about in quest of somebody this of itself impelled a feeling of guilt and dread I 1 was late but it occurred to me that I 1 must take along my umbrella it stood with others in the great hallway leading to the dining room I 1 somehow felt like a criminal when approaching that umbrella stand I 1 fairly trembled lest some suddenly appearing employee should pounce upon me when in the act of abstracting my own umbrella scarcely had I 1 got a firm hold of the handle when this fairly shrieked demand rang out beside me who are who are YOU who are YOU ichabod crane when pursued by the headless horseman never flew over old i i Po bridge faster than startled and dismayed f I 1 plugged out of the placer place and into the clutches of a southampton v street police officer explanations fol r lowed I 1 missed my train but was formally introduced to the gleefully malignant raven whose station was in the hallway where at ru night ht its cage was covered with some travelers travelers handy rug f that is a strange principle of human f t nature which finds mitigation of our own humiliation in the embarrassment of others but the same evening I 1 almost almo str f forgave the vicious bird for selecting as I 1 r another victim one of those particularly aggravating american females who prance an scold about the world as pro H fess ional agitators the lady was big ja and broad and pompous a familiar 1 1 figure I 1 Iam am boldin told in the new england states wherever she moved she pro ceedee in a series of stately pauses and I 1 snorts as if to say 1 I pause that you s may have opportunity to fully rea realize realized lizeT who I 1 am she was passing in in this manner through the hallway to the dining room the raven was evidently impressed and curious he promptly shouted almost in her ears t A who are you who are YOU who 1 are YOU 14 the agitator was a agitated stated Tr trembling emblin from rage she wheeled wheeled and shouted ba back cl to the office force and tittering guests who am I 1 bless me everybody outside ot of this disgraceful country ta knows who aam I 1 am this is an outrage I 1 shall see minister lincoln about it then she majestically snorted herself in to dinner aa an irresistible but repressed outburst of laughter followed the contretemps As it died away I 1 noticed the raven craning its neck to this side and that and blinking demurely then it gave its ugly beak a few smart raps with its claws sent an unearthly whistle after my disappearing disappear in countrywoman and as it nally finally settled itself if for or a bit of quiet reflection purred hoarsely but still softly and ruminatively 4 who are goulf you who are YOU Y ou who 4 are speaking of interesting americans abroad reminds me of a curious incident of 0 my recent years wanderings in faaland from the western slope I 1 had crossed the crags of ma mountain in to the Killar nery lakes at its eastern ern base crossed the vagrant owen tr reach c h I 1 river iver and scrambling over hill and aad heather finally reached the great from bantel banary bantry and Glen gariff called t the he prince 0 01 wales route adm cork to the lake region just where this magnificent road first turns tortis the mountain side tourists by Idt ecar or legs are given a first glimpse of the surpassing panorama which at atile sweep comprehends the great mountains on either side and the witch U UK lakes between the most entrancing cfall atall views of killarney I 1 was sitting bete bece rough ragged and travel stained upon a ledge of rocks resting in the sweet april day and contemplating tem plating the scene before me when I 1 was PIC pleasantly a disturbed to afterwards first know by actual experience the substantial rewards of a vagrants life in tourist lands the long car filled with tourists and a small mountain of hampers piled above the 4 well between the hanging side seats seau lumbered up the southern ascent from kenmare kenmark Ken mare and came to its custom arar anhalt to e rable enable tourists to enjoy the unusual prospect among the passengers were a couple of etonian graduates acdan d n F english n g lish milord and milady with 4 aa c children hilr ee n and servants all a of whom defensive attitude W an aa aggressive were upa al m of silent scorn to towards ards an innocent palt from our own loved land the latter were a little bald nut heaped d gentleman with a bent b body suggesting sti ting a polished peddle set itt in ole tte bugge en end 0 of f a b banana an ana and his good maw honest american wife twice his h height dight aw and four times his girth the man was embodiment the of nervous activity and enthusiasm the woman of adipose and re repose p idse and both having duly paid their booking were placidly oblivious of t tha J ethical in injuries jurief they had inflicted all jhb way from cork up upon on their fellow travelers tra vilers everybody alighted but the calib Ante american rican woman in serene composure she watched her side of the long car settle nearly to the ground but she kept her seat ac come ome down ma maw w do urged the little man bringing into instant use a pair pan of field glasses each tube of which wd was ae a large as the lone Fis hermans stage telescope maw this wonderful wonderful wonderful at the sound of these last three words milord ced milady elevated her eye eyebrows the Eton ians readjusted their eyeglasses eye glasses and the servants looked dignified and grave no guess ill let well enough alone murmured the littler little mans large wife maw this is wonderful wonderful wonderful repeated repeated d the american 8 sweeping th the scene cene with his glasses filling L te the lang english les h delegation with another series of rings and backing into me as he spoke step on that man there paw if you dont use your eyes PP cautioned the wife from the long car bless me ves oes wonderful wonderful wonderful peasantry right here herein in the mou mountings stings see here pat he gon con linued addressing me you gont good for nothing dynamite irishman dont deserve this wonderful kentry darned if you do throe for yer honor lP I 1 replied humbly see that maw with a cunning wink to his wife thinks im one bothem high rollers well well pat heres a a guess eess its a half crown or some thing thiner r other there now brace up go to my country get a clean shirt shirl be a a well git therell there god bless yer honor I 1 responded thanking him heartily may the top 0 yer head never folly yer hair I 1 Z maw say maw did you hear that irish wit by golly well well well wonderful wonderful wonderful live long round here here pat adade did I 1 for ages wonderful the english contingent winced the worthy man gave me another shilling and his good wife from the tilting long car wished the little man make such a fuss over every poor creature in ireland well well pat the name ol 01 0 that mounting the name sor some sort ofer story er legion about it I 1 spose divil doubt that sor but wan mountain stud there at first sor st patrick may all the saints bless himl him was carin fot two hills so one fine mornin another stud beside it wonderful wonderful wonderful wonder full exclaimed the american writing the same down on a business card writing as big ig as his hand while his bis traveling companions writhed again and that burder one tore sir tore bekasi a wild boar adyell an yell find em there this blessed minute with tusks on em the length 0 yer yei arm sor goodness gracious but that is wonderful maw did you hear that and that mounting over there pat Man garton sor jess so kinder dutch faint it spose some dutchman settled there and gardena gard end it long ago eh wonderful how these things stick to pla places he had bad me there and I 1 should have broken down entirely if milord with a loud guffaw in which the undergraduates joined had not ascended the car and with illy suppressed snorts and indignation ordered the driver to proceed this took my little friend from me on the run but after his able bodied wife had dragged him from the ground to his seat on the long car and held him in it by one arm he turned and gesticulating enthusiastically with the other and the field glasses yelled from the rapidly disappearing disappear in g vehicle come to my hotel pat dont know the name best one anyhow want to know more about this wonderful kentry make it all right darned if I 1 dont EDGAR L WAKEMAN |