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s　as　they　pulled　at　the　ropes：　now　they　are　satisfied　with　short　ha…ho's；　and　uncadenced　grunts。　　It　used　to　be　that　the　leader　sang；　in　ever…varying　lines　of　nonsense；　and　the　chorus　struck　in　with　fine　effect；　like　this：


〃I　wish　I　was　in　Liverpool　town。　　　　　　Handy…pan；　handy　O！

O　captain！　　where　'd　you　ship　your　crew　　　　　　Handy…pan；　handy　O！

Oh！　　pull　away；　my　bully　crew；　　　　　　Handy…pan；　handy　O！〃


There　are　verses　enough　of　this　sort　to　reach　across　the　Atlantic；　and　they　are　not　the　worst　thing　about　it　either；　or　the　most　tedious。　　One　learns　to　respect　this　ocean；　but　not　to　love　it；　and　he　leaves　it　with　mingled　feelings　about　Columbus。

And　now；　having　crossed　it；a　fact　that　cannot　be　concealed；let　us　not　be　under　the　misapprehension　that　we　are　set　to　any　task　other　than　that　of　sauntering　where　it　pleases　us。





PARIS　AND　LONDON


SURFACE　CONTRASTS　OF　PARIS　AND　LONDON

I　wonder　if　it　is　the　Channel？　　Almost　everything　is　laid　to　the　Channel：　it　has　no　friends。　　The　sailors　call　it　the　nastiest　bit　of　water　in　the　world。　　All　travelers　anathematize　it。　　I　have　now　crossed　it　three　times　in　different　places；　by　long　routes　and　short　ones；　and　have　always　found　it　as　comfortable　as　any　sailing　anywhere；　sailing　being　one　of　the　most　tedious　and　disagreeable　inventions　of　a　fallen　race。　　But　such　is　not　the　usual　experience：　most　people　would　make　great　sacrifices　to　avoid　the　hour　and　three　quarters　in　one　of　those　loathsome　little　Channel　boats；they　always　call　them　loathsome；　though　I　did　n't　see　but　they　are　as　good　as　any　boats。　　I　have　never　found　any　boat　that　hasn't　a　detestable　habit　of　bobbing　round。　　The　Channel　is　hated：　and　no　one　who　has　much　to　do　with　it　is　surprised　at　the　projects　for　bridging　it　and　for　boring　a　hole　under　it；　though　I　have　scarcely　ever　met　an　Englishman　who　wants　either　done；he　does　not　desire　any　more　facile　communication　with　the　French　than　now　exists。　　The　traditional　hatred　may　not　be　so　strong　as　it　was；　but　it　is　hard　to　say　on　which　side　is　the　most　ignorance　and　contempt　of　the　other。

It　must　be　the　Channel：　that　is　enough　to　produce　a　physical　disagreement　even　between　the　two　coasts；　and　there　cannot　be　a　greater　contrast　in　the　cultivated　world　than　between　the　two　lands　lying　so　close　to　each　other；　and　the　contrast　of　their　capitals　is　even　more　decided；I　was　about　to　say　rival　capitals；　but　they　have　not　enough　in　common　to　make　them　rivals。　　I　have　lately　been　over　to　London　for　a　week；　going　by　the　Dieppe　and　New　Haven　route　at　night；　and　returning　by　another；　and　the　contrasts　I　speak　of　were　impressed　upon　me　anew。　　Everything　here　in　and　about　Paris　was　in　the　green　and　bloom　of　spring；　and　seemed　to　me　very　lovely；　but　my　first　glance　at　an　English　landscape　made　it　all　seem　pale　and　flat。　　We　went　up　from　New　Haven　to　London　in　the　morning；　and　feasted　our　eyes　all　the　way。　　The　French　foliage　is　thin；　spindling；　sparse；　the　grass　is　thin　and　light　in　colorin　contrast。　　The　English　trees　are　massive；　solid　in　substance　and　color；　the　grass　is　thick；　and　green　as　emerald；　the　turf　is　like　the　heaviest　Wilton　carpet。　　The　whole　effect　is　that　of　vegetable　luxuriance　and　solidity；　as　it　were　a　tropical　luxuriance；　condensed　and　hardened　by　northern　influences。　If　my　eyes　remember　well；　the　French　landscapes　are　more　like　our　own；　in　spring　tone；　at　least；　but　the　English　are　a　revelation　to　us　strangers　of　what　green　really　is；　and　what　grass　and　trees　can　be。　I　had　been　told　that　we　did　well　to　see　England　before　going　to　the　Continent；　for　it　would　seem　small　and　only　pretty　afterwards。　　Well；　leaving　out　Switzerland；　I　have　seen　nothing　in　that　beauty　which　satisfies　the　eye　and　wins　the　heart　to　compare　with　England　in　spring。　　When　we　annex　it　to　our　sprawling　country　which　lies　out…doors　in　so　many　climates；　it　will　make　a　charming　little　retreat　for　us　in　May　and　June；　a　sort　of　garden　of　delight；　whence　we　shall　draw　our　May　butter　and　our　June　roses。　　It　will　only　be　necessary　to　put　it　under　glass　to　make　it　pleasant　the　year　round。

When　we　passed　within　the　hanging　smoke　of　London　town；　threading　our　way　amid　numberless　railway　tracks；　sometimes　over　a　road　and　sometimes　under　one；　now　burrowing　into　the　ground；　and　now　running　along　among　the　chimney…pots；when　we　came　into　the　pale　light　and　the　thickening　industry　of　a　London　day；　we　could　but　at　once　contrast　Paris。　　Unpleasant　weather　usually　reduces　places　to　an　equality　of　disagreeableness。　　But　Paris；　with　its　wide　streets；　light；　handsome　houses；　gay　windows　and　smiling　little　parks　and　fountains；　keeps　up　a　tolerably　pleasant　aspect；　let　the　weather　do　its　worst。　　But　London；　with　its　low；　dark；　smutty　brick　houses　and　insignificant　streets；　settles　down　hopelessly　into　the　dumps　when　the　weather　is　bad。　　Even　with　the　sun　doing　its　best　on　the　eternal　cloud　of　smoke；　it　is　dingy　and　gloomy　enough；　and　so　dirty；　after　spick…span；　shining　Paris。　　And　there　is　a　contrast　in　the　matter　of　order　and　system；　the　lack　of　both　in　London　is　apparent。　　You　detect　it　in　public　places；　in　crowds；　in　the　streets。　　The　〃social　evil〃　is　bad　enough　in　its　demonstrations　in　Paris：　it　is　twice　as　offensive　in　London。　　I　have　never　seen　a　drunken　woman　in　Paris：　I　saw　many　of　them　in　the　daytime　in　London。　　I　saw　men　and　women　fight　in　the　streets；a　man　kick　and　pound　a　woman；　and　nobody　interfered。　　There　is　a　brutal　streak　in　the　Anglo…Saxon；　I　fear；a　downright　animal　coarseness；　that　does　not　exhibit　itself　the　other　side　of　the　Channel。　　It　is　a　proverb；　that　the　London　policemen　are　never　at　hand。　　The　stout　fellows　with　their　clubs　look　as　if　they　might　do　service；　but　what　a　contrast　they　are　to　the　Paris　sergents　de　ville！　The　latter；　with　his　dress…coat；　cocked　hat；　long　rapier；　white　gloves；　neat；　polite；　attentive；　alert；always　with　the　manner　of　a　jesuit　turned　soldier；you　learn　to　trust　very　much；　if　not　respect；　and　you　feel　perfectly　secure　that　he　will　protect　you；　and　give　you　your　rights　in　any　corner　of　Paris。　　It　does　look　as　if　he　might　slip　that　slender　rapier　through　your　body　in　a　second；　and　pull　it　out　and　wipe　it；　and　not　move　a　muscle；　but　I　don't　think　he　would　do　it　unless　he　were　directly　ordered　to。　　He　would　not　be　likely　to　knock　you　down　and　drag　you　out；　in　mistake　for　the　rowdy　who　was　assaulting　you。

A　great　contrast　between　the　habits　of　the　people　of　London　and　Paris　is　shown　by　their　eating　and　drinking。　　Paris　is　brilliant　with　cafes：　all　the　world　frequents　them　to　sip　coffee　（and　too　often　absinthe）；　read　the　papers；　and　gossip　over　the　news；　take　them　away；　as　all　travelers　know；　and　Paris　would　not　know　itself。　　There　is　not　a　cafe　in　London：　instead　of　cafes；　there　are　gin…mills；　instead　of　light　wine；　there　is　heavy　beer。　　The　restaurants　and　restaurant　life　are　as　different　as　can　be。　　You　can　get　anything　you　wish　in　Paris：　you　can　live　very　cheaply　or　very　dearly；　as　you　like。　　The　range　is　more　limited　in　London。　　I　do　not　fancy　the　usual　run　of　Paris　restaurants。　　You　get　a　great　deal　for　your　money；　in　variety　and　quantity；　but　you　don't　exactly　know　what　it　is：　and　in　time　you　tire　of　odds　and　ends；　which　destroy　your　hunger　without　exactly　satisfying　you。　　For　myself；　after　a　pretty　good　run　of　French　cookery　（and　it　beats　the　world　for　making　the　most　out　of　little）；　when　I　sat　down　again　to　what　the　eminently　respectable　waiter　in　white　and　black　calls　〃a　dinner　off　the　Joint；　sir；〃　with　what　belongs　to　it；　and　ended　up　with　an　attack　on　a　section　of　a　cheese　as　big　as　a　bass…drum；　not　to　forget　a　pewter　mug　of　amber　liquid；　I　felt　as　if　I　had　touched　bottom　again；got　something　substantial；　had　what　you　call　a　square　meal。　　The　English　give　you　the　substantials；　and　better；　I　believe；　than　any　other　people。　Thackeray　used　to　come　over　to　Paris　to　get　a　good　dinner　now　and　then。　　I　have　tried　his　favorite　restaurant　here；　the　cuisine　of　which　is　famous　far　beyond　the　banks　of　the　Seine；　but　I　think　if　he；　hearty　trencher…man　that　he　was；　had　lived　in　Paris；　he　would　have　gone　to　London　for　a　dinner　oftener　than　he　came　here。

And　as　for　a　lunch；this　eating　is　a　fascinating　theme；commend　me　to　a　quiet　inn　of　England。　　We　happened　to　be　out　at　Kew　Gardens　the　other　afternoon。　　You　ought　to　go　to　Kew；　even　if　the　Duchess　of　Cambridge　is　not　at　home。　　There　is　not　such　a　park　out　of　England；　considering　how　beautiful　the　Thames　is　there。　　What　splendid　trees　it　has！　　the　horse…chestnut；　now　a　mass　of　pink…and…white　blossoms；　from　its　broad　base；　which　rests　on　the　ground；　to　its　high　rounded　dome；　the　hawthorns；　white　and　red；　in　full　flower；　the　sweeps　and　glades　of　living　green；turf　on　which　you　walk　with　a　grateful　sense　of　drawing　life　directly　from　the　yielding；　bountiful　earth；a　green　set　out　and　heightened　by　flowers　in　masses　of　color　（a　great　variety　of　rhododendrons；　for　one　thing）；　to　say　nothing　of　magnificent　greenhouses　and　outlying　flower…gardens。　　Just　beyond　are　Richmond　Hill　and　Hampton　Court；　and　five　or　six　centuries　of　tradition　and　history　and　romance。　　Before　you　enter　the　garden；　you　pass　the　green。　　On　one　side　of　it　are　cottages；　and　on　the　other　the　old　village　church　and　its　quiet　churchyard。　　Some　boys　w