232 FouT-in-Hand in Britain. 



The influence of America and of American ideas 

 upon England is seen in various ways. We meet fre- 

 quently one who has visited the Republic, whose ad- 

 vanced ideas, in consequence of the knowledge derived 

 from actual contact with American affairs, are very de- 

 cidedly proclaimed. 



While on the train to-day we met a rattler of this 

 kind, who gave many instances of the non-receptivity 

 of his countrymen. I remember one of his complaints 

 was in regard to a pea-sheller which he had seen at 

 work in one of our monster hotels. He was so pleased 

 that he bought one and took it in triumph to his inn- 

 keeper at home : " Blessed if the servants would work 

 it, sir ; no, sir, wouldn't shell a pea with it, sir. Look 

 where we are in the race of new inventions, sir. We're 

 not in it. Lord bless you, sir, England isnt in it'' 



This man, like converts in general to new ideas, 

 went much too far. Any one who thinks that England 

 is not in the race, and pretty well placed too, has not 

 looked very deep. We did what we could to give him 

 a juster conception of his country's position than he ap- 

 parently entertained. " What on earth," I said to him, 

 " has a small English hotel to do with a pea-sheller? I 

 have never heard of this Yankee notion, but I doubt 

 not that one pea-sheller would shell all the peas required 

 by all the guests of all the hotels in town, if they fed 

 the inmates on nothing but pea soup ! " But he would 

 not be convinced. It was just the same with any other 



