232 THE REV. J. G. WOOD. 



Then there is a short paragraph which reminds one 

 of Burns' famous lines : 



" wad some power the giftie gie us 

 To see oursels as ithers see us." 



I hear on all sides that both Matthew Arnold and I speak 

 with " a strong English accent " ! That is, I presume, we don't 

 shut up the backs of our throats and speak through our noses. 

 Boyd Dawkins is liable to the same defect, and so is Tyndall, 



but in a less degree. Miss II told me that when she returned 



from a long visit to England she was painfully struck with the 

 shrill, high-pitched voices of her country-women, and was horribly 

 afraid lest she should go back to the same pitch. They all seem 

 to scream, and make wonderful use of their lips. 



There is also a note to the effect that at the leading 

 churches the choir-boys are all of English birth, no 

 amount of training being sufficient to eradicate the 

 shrill, nasal intonation of the American lads. 



Finally there are one or two more Americanisms : 



Goloshes are called by various names. The ordinary golosh is 

 here called a " kick-off," to distinguish it from the " Arctic," which 

 is buckled. The " Arctic," by the way, is a waterproof boot, with 

 India-rubber sole, sides, and toes, which goes over the boots, and, if 

 wished, over the trousers as well. It is impossible to keep one's 

 footing in snow-time with a leather boot. I thought that it would 

 be horribly expensive, but it is cheap, the very best being only 

 eight shillings per pair. 



" Rubber " is a generic term. South of New England, goloshes 

 are called "gums." One southern gentleman made quite a sensa- 

 tion here lately. He and his wife were calling at a friend's house, 

 and the wife did not make her appearance with her husband. This 

 he explained by saying that she was " only rubbing her gums on the 

 door-mat." 



As to " kick-offs," when you tumble on the side- walk, the height 

 to which the article in question can be projected is really amazing. 



