Show THEN AND NOW in turning over some old letters I 1 bame across one written on 6 an inn bill with the fading the sull and south country inn by ansson I 1 remembered writing home from there in 1893 when on an exploring tour in the weald of sussex and the sight of this slip of paper recalled pleasant memories of other days hi a hollow of chalk hills at the edge of the south downs chero two long ribbons of tree bordered road crossed and wound away to the four points of the compass the old inn hung out its green and white sign baard the nearest village was four milea off and one could not easily see where the customers of ephraem gas eon evere to come from As a matter of fact they amany the inn was us much a farmhouse as anything low windowed rooted as ao almany many of the houses in out of the way sussex are with slabs of sandstone from the quarries cream washed with a big garden bordered by a chalk stream the very sight of tho inn was cool and there was a stroke of native genius in the lettering and color of the sign and ale boards green and white they carried on the coloring of sussex green and white of chalk pit and down of road and hedge of cottage and garden of forest and of sand and sea on a blazing july day early in the month it was when I 1 there some ton years ago the shadowed interior looked cold cooler than a in april from inside sitting on the plain chairs you could look through the window to the garden beyond and see the strawberries gleaming and the sheen of water dancing in the the long stone passages the sanded floor the ov opec windows and outside the river the giant overhanging aaa treba and the gardens greenery made tho old honeo a very haven or coolness and rest it seemed to rap all the available shadows andi ivas s cool breezes and use chent for the general benefit I 1 study the modest hems of that bill with keen interest that dinner at 4 shilling of iamb dalal aud goose berry tart served by ephraums Ephr alms youngest daughter a re maiden of fourteen with honey colored hair who used alie opportunity to commandeer my knowledge sadly to seek of commercial arithmetic for her home lessons that tea ath unlimited strawberries and cream the oddi angled sl lenco bedroom bedro pm full of quaint lithographs described in three lam grages with its sound sleep giving qualities the breakfast with ephraim and his family of many dishes and appetizing pet izing relish did four ordinary shillings and sixpence really settle the account was it possible that for less than a crown I 1 could be provider with imperishable memories yes ten years ago it was the next holiday that came round I 1 resolved to renew my acquaintance with Ephr airo gasson and the still ana south county inn going by foot and path most of the efly I 1 dropped lown the slope at last that led to my anchorage there was a mile of straight road behind and ahead of me presently camo a blast of motor horn a rush of air a of the time the last had settled a motorcar motor car was dipping over the brow of the hill an front another swooped down and passed me to draw up alongside tae house in the hollow however there was the inn right enough abut how changed the green and walte signboard was displaced by n huge contraption with southern counties hotel in large gilt letters underneath was the inscription ladies gentlemen and motorists catered por garage pit petrol and separate accommodation for chauffeurs half fhe garden was now cove redi with galvanized iron roofing the garage A waiter in not too clean regulation costume at ten in the morning vas standing in the doorway no mr gasson does not liap here hes been gone some years old chap up to date enough and the place went down till my boss took it over do we do much trade rather you dont know mr lawson I 1 can see advertisements in all the elect papers ts one of the paying things do you ever read the really elgh lass weeklies bar no I 1 thought not look at this its in a different one each week this was in the mirror of mayfair all the motoring world of fashion will be pleased to hear of a really reasonable weekend week end hotel where you may put up from friday to monday at an inclusive charge of two guineas per head chauffeur fifteen and six the enterprising proprietor of the southern counties hotel at nes on the road has made a special feature of such catering there is a garage and pit and wo can vouch for the cuisine and wines N B you fear police traps in this ats As we said the proprietor is a man of enterprise we as the gentleman who wrote that staying here at times best of everything no bill a little bit of all right for yours truly pays his account hes a smart un can you have anything to eat well if you dont mind waiting till the boss comes cut of the pit weve got the hpe mr Stew kes motor in dock ill ask him you see weve got a big party coming down from town for lunch and I 1 think that were likely to run short but if you cant wait you can get somo porkpie pork pie and beer at ache bar we aln t sed used u to the casual trade our customers sends a wire go on to midford and take potluck on the road he gave a significant ant look at my dusty worn clothes well not a bad idea to give you the straight griffin we are a bit here and charges according now this is what the people who are interested in the rich mans latest toy call bringing back prosperity the countryside country side and reviving a decaying industry they say it so often that unless you run up against a hard fact as I 1 did you may think there is something in it london leader |