28 Life and Sport on the Pacific Slope 



"Ah — well, I came to the State of California 

 about the same time you did." 



He blushed scarlet; then he laughed heartily. 

 " Great Scott ! Why did n't you tell me to come 

 off my perch ? " 



After that, he asked a number of questions and 

 listened civilly to my replies. We parted the best 

 of friends. 



An Englishman is never seen to worse advan- 

 tage than when he is insisting upon what he is 

 pleased to call his — rights. For in the develop- 

 ment of character it is expedient that men should 

 sometimes do without privileges to which they con- 

 ceive themselves entitled. Perhaps if we clamour 

 too persistently for our dues in this world, we may 

 also, in the world to come, be dealt with according 

 to our deserts. At any rate it is a charming char- 

 acteristic of the men of the West that they are 

 good-humouredly content with less than that to 

 which they are legally and morally entitled. As 

 much, be it noted, cannot be said of the women. 

 In San Francisco, at certain times of the day, the 

 demand for seats in the cable cars invariably ex- 

 ceeds the supply. And the men of course always 

 give up their seats to the ladies, who accept them — 

 without thanks. Once, however, I saw a Briton 

 who refused to budge. Finding the eyes of the fair 

 upon him, he fidgeted and finally burst into speech. 

 " You 're all looking at me," he said angrily ; " and 

 you think I ought to give up my seat. Well, I 'm 

 not going to do it. And if the men of this country 

 had more sense they 'd keep what they 've paid for, 



