my discovery of england-第4节

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ple。　In　short；　as　an　English　visitor　said　of　Peterborough；　Ontario；　there　is　a　distinct　note　of　optimism　in　the　air。　I　forget　who　it　was　who　said　this；　but　at　any　rate　I　have　been　in　Peterborough　myself　and　I　have　seen　it。

Contrary　to　my　expectations　and　contrary　to　all　our　Transatlantic　precedents；　I　was　not　met　at　the　depot　by　one　of　the　leading　citizens；　himself　a　member　of　the　Municipal　Council；　driving　his　own　motor　car。　He　did　not　tuck　a　fur　rug　about　my　knees；　present　me　with　a　really　excellent　cigar　and　proceed　to　drive　me　about　the　town　so　as　to　show　me　the　leading　points　of　interest；　the　municipal　reservoir；　the　gas　works　and　the　municipal　abattoir。　In　fact　he　was　not　there。　But　I　attribute　his　absence　not　to　any　lack　of　hospitality　but　merely　to　a　certain　reserve　in　the　English　character。　They　are　as　yet　unused　to　the　arrival　of　lecturers。　When　they　get　to　be　more　accustomed　to　their　coming；　they　will　learn　to　take　them　straight　to　the　municipal　abattoir　just　as　we　do。

For　lack　of　better　guidance；　therefore；　I　had　to　form　my　impressions　of　London　by　myself。　In　the　mere　physical　sense　there　is　much　to　attract　the　eye。　The　city　is　able　to　boast　of　many　handsome　public　buildings　and　offices　which　compare　favourably　with　anything　on　the　other　side　of　the　Atlantic。　On　the　bank　of　the　Thames　itself　rises　the　power　house　of　the　Westminster　Electric　Supply　Corporation；　a　handsome　modern　edifice　in　the　later　Japanese　style。　Close　by　are　the　commodious　premises　of　the　Imperial　Tobacco　Company；　while　at　no　great　distance　the　Chelsea　Gas　Works　add　a　striking　feature　of　rotundity。　Passing　northward；　one　observes　Westminster　Bridge；　notable　as　a　principal　station　of　the　underground　railway。　This　station　and　the　one　next　above　it；　the　Charing　Cross　one；　are　connected　by　a　wide　thoroughfare　called　Whitehall。　One　of　the　best　American　drug　stores　is　here　situated。　The　upper　end　of　Whitehall　opens　into　the　majestic　and　spacious　Trafalgar　Square。　　Here　are　grouped　in　imposing　proximity　the　offices　of　the　Canadian　Pacific　and　other　railways；　The　International　Sleeping　Car　Company；　the　Montreal　Star；　and　the　Anglo…Dutch　Bank。　Two　of　the　best　American　barber　shops　are　conveniently　grouped　near　the　Square；　while　the　existence　of　a　tall　stone　monument　in　the　middle　of　the　Square　itself　enables　the　American　visitor　to　find　them　without　difficulty。　　Passing　eastward　towards　the　heart　of　the　city；　one　notes　on　the　left　hand　the　imposing　pile　of　St。　Paul's；　an　enormous　church　with　a　round　dome　on　the　top；　suggesting　strongly　the　first　Church　of　Christ　（Scientist）　on　Euclid　Avenue；　Cleveland。

But　the　English　churches　not　being　labelled；　the　visitor　is　often　at　a　loss　to　distinguish　them。

A　little　further　on　one　finds　oneself　in　the　heart　of　financial　London。　Here　all　the　great　financial　institutions　of　AmericaThe　First　National　Bank　of　Milwaukee；　The　Planters　National　Bank　of　St。　Louis；　The　Montana　Farmers　Trust　Co。；　and　many　others；have　either　their　offices　or　their　agents。　The　Bank　of　Englandwhich　acts　as　the　London　Agent　of　The　Montana　Farmers　Trust　Company；　and　the　London　County　Bank；　which　represents　the　People's　Deposit　Co。；　of　Yonkers；　N。Y。；　are　said　to　be　in　the　neighbourhood。

This　particular　part　of　London　is　connected　with　the　existence　of　that　strange　and　mysterious　thing　called　〃the　City。〃　I　am　still　unable　to　decide　whether　the　city　is　a　person；　or　a　place；　or　a　thing。　But　as　a　form　of　being　I　give　it　credit　for　being　the　most　emotional；　the　most　volatile；　the　most　peculiar　creature　in　the　world。　You　read　in　the　morning　paper　that　the　City　is　〃deeply　depressed。〃　At　noon　it　is　reported　that　the　City　is　〃buoyant〃　and　by　four　o'clock　that　the　City　is　〃wildly　excited。〃

I　have　tried　in　vain　to　find　the　causes　of　these　peculiar　changes　of　feeling。　The　ostensible　reasons；　as　given　in　the　newspaper；　are　so　trivial　as　to　be　hardly　worthy　of　belief。　For　example；　here　is　the　kind　of　news　that　comes　out　from　the　City。　〃The　news　that　a　modus　vivendi　has　been　signed　between　the　Sultan　of　Kowfat　and　the　Shriek…ul…Islam　has　caused　a　sudden　buoyancy　in　the　City。　Steel　rails　which　had　been　depressed　all　morning　reacted　immediately　while　American　mules　rose　up　sharply　to　par。〃　。　。　。　〃Monsieur　Poincar；　speaking　at　Bordeaux；　said　that　henceforth　France　must　seek　to　retain　by　all　possible　means　the　ping…pong　championship　of　the　world：　values　in　the　City　collapsed　at　once。〃　。　。　。　〃Despatches　from　Bombay　say　that　the　Shah　of　Persia　yesterday　handed　a　golden　slipper　to　the　Grand　Vizier　Feebli　Pasha　as　a　sign　that　he　might　go　and　chase　himself：　the　news　was　at　once　followed　by　a　drop　in　oil；　and　a　rapid　attempt　to　liquidate　everything　that　is　fluid　。　。　。〃

But　these　mysteries　of　the　City　I　do　not　pretend　to　explain。　I　have　passed　through　the　place　dozens　of　times　and　never　noticed　anything　particular　in　the　way　of　depression　or　buoyancy；　or　falling　oil；　or　rising　rails。　But　no　doubt　it　is　there。

A　little　beyond　the　city　and　further　down　the　river　the　visitor　finds　this　district　of　London　terminating　in　the　gloomy　and　forbidding　Tower；　the　principal　penitentiary　of　the　city。　Here　Queen　Victoria　was　imprisoned　for　many　years。

Excellent　gasoline　can　be　had　at　the　American　Garage　immediately　north　of　the　Tower；　where　motor　repairs　of　all　kinds　are　also　carried　on。

These；　however；　are　but　the　superficial　pictures　of　London；　gathered　by　the　eye　of　the　tourist。　A　far　deeper　meaning　is　found　in　the　examination　of　the　great　historic　monuments　of　the　city。　The　principal　ones　of　these　are　the　Tower　of　London　（just　mentioned）；　the　British　Museum　and　Westminster　Abbey。　No　visitor　to　London　should　fail　to　see　these。　Indeed　he　ought　to　feel　that　his　visit　to　England　is　wasted　unless　he　has　seen　them。　I　speak　strongly　on　the　point　because　I　feel　strongly　on　it。　To　my　mind　there　is　something　about　the　grim　fascination　of　the　historic　Tower；　the　cloistered　quiet　of　the　Museum　and　the　majesty　of　the　ancient　Abbey；　which　will　make　it　the　regret　of　my　life　that　I　didn't　see　any　one　of　the　three。　I　fully　meant　to：　but　I　failed：　and　I　can　only　hope　that　the　circumstances　of　my　failure　may　be　helpful　to　other　visitors。

The　Tower　of　London　I　most　certainly　intended　to　inspect。　Each　day；　after　the　fashion　of　every　tourist；　I　wrote　for　myself　a　little　list　of　things　to　do　and　I　always　put　the　Tower　of　London　on　it。　No　doubt　the　reader　knows　the　kind　of　little　list　that　I　mean。　It　runs：

　　　　1。　Go　to　bank。

　　　　2。　Buy　a　shirt。

　　　　3。　National　Picture　Gallery。

　　　　4。　Razor　blades。

　　　　5。　Tower　of　London。

　　　　6。　Soap。

This　itinerary；　I　regret　to　say；　was　never　carried　out　in　full。　I　was　able　at　times　both　to　go　to　the　bank　and　buy　a　shirt　in　a　single　morning：　at　other　times　I　was　able　to　buy　razor　blades　and　almost　to　find　the　National　Picture　Gallery。　Meantime　I　was　urged　on　all　sides　by　my　London　acquaintances　not　to　fail　to　see　the　Tower。　〃There's　a　grim　fascination　about　the　place；〃　they　said；　〃you　mustn't　miss　it。〃　I　am　quite　certain　that　in　due　course　of　time　I　should　have　made　my　way　to　the　Tower　but　for　the　fact　that　I　made　a　fatal　discovery。　I　found　out　that　the　London　people　who　urged　me　to　go　and　see　the　Tower　had　never　seen　it　themselves。　　It　appears　they　never　go　near　it。　One　night　at　a　dinner　a　man　next　to　me　said；　〃Have　you　seen　the　Tower？　You　really　ought　to。　There's　a　grim　fascination　about　it。〃　I　looked　him　in　the　face。　〃Have　you　seen　it　yourself？〃　I　asked。　〃Oh；　yes；〃　he　answered。　〃I've　seen　it。〃　〃When？〃　I　asked。　The　man　hesitated。　〃When　I　was　just　a　boy；〃　he　said；　〃my　father　took　me　there。〃　〃How　long　ago　is　that？〃　I　enquired。　　〃About　forty　years　ago；〃　he　answered；

〃I　always　mean　to　go　again　but　I　don't　somehow　seem　to　get　the　time。〃

After　this　I　got　to　understand　that　when　a　Londoner　says；　〃Have　you　seen　the　Tower　of　London？〃　the　answer　is；　〃No；　and　neither　have　you。〃

Take　the　parallel　case　of　the　British　Museum。　Here　is　a　place　that　is　a　veritable　treasure　house。　A　repository　of　some　of　the　most　priceless　historical　relics　to　be　found　upon　the　earth。　It　contains；　for　instance；　the　famous　Papyrus　Manuscript　of　Thotmes　II　of　the　first　Egyptian　dynastya　thing　known　to　scholars　all　over　the　world　as　the　oldest　extant　specimen　of　what　can　be　called　writing；　indeed　one　can　here　see　the　actual　evolution　（I　am　quoting　from　a　work　of　reference；　or　at　least　from　my　recollection　of　it）　from　the　ideographic　cuneiform　to　the　phonetic　syllabic　script。　Every　time　I　have　read　about　that　manuscript　and　have　happened　to　be　in　Orillia　（Ontario）　or　Schenectady　（N。Y。）　or　any　such　place；　I　have　felt　that　I　would　be　willing　to　take　a　whole　trip　to　England　to　have　five　minutes　at　the　British　Museum；　just　five；　to　look　at　that　papyrus。　Yet　as　soon　as　I　got　to　London　this　changed。　　The　railway　stations　of　London　have　been　so　arranged　that　to　get　to　any　train　for　the　north　or　west；　the　traveller　must　pass　the　British　Museum。　The　first　time　I　went　by　it　in　a　taxi；　I　felt　quite　a　thrill。　〃Inside　those　walls；〃　I　thought　to　myself；　〃is　the　manuscript　of　Thotmes　II。〃　The　next　time　I　actually　stopped　the　taxi。　〃Is　that　the　British　Museum？〃　I　asked　the　driver；　〃I　think　it　is　something　of　the　sort；　sir；〃　he　said。　I　hesitated。　〃Drive　me；〃　I　said；　〃to　where