334 AN AMERICAN FARMER IN ENGLAND. 



Gilpin of a man. He was wrapping the article we had purchas- 

 ed in a paper, and, while we waited, asked, 



"Travelers, gentlemen?" 



"Yes, sir." 



"On foot it appears?" 



"Yes, sir." 



Traveled far so, might I ask ? " 



"Oh, yes a number of hundred miles." 



"Indeed you must have seen a good bit of Old England. 

 Ever was on the Continent, gentlemen?" 



"Yes." 



" In France, it might be ?" 



"Yes." 



"Anywhere else but France?" 



"Yes in Holland, Germany and Belgium." 



"Ah! Gentlemen, I should like to ask you now, if I might 

 be so bold, I should like to ask you a question, just one question. 

 I haven't been myself, you see, to France nor to Holland nor to 

 those other countries, but I have read of them, and according to 

 the best sources of information I could reach, I have informed 

 my mind about them and formed my own independent opinion, 

 you see, in which I may be right, of course, and I may be wrong, 

 but I think I'm right. And I have had a coming in here a 

 many of traveling gentlemen like you, who had seen all those 

 foreign countries, and had also in course seen England. Well, I 

 always asks these gentlemen one question when they does me the 

 honor, and they have always been so good as to answer me, and 

 now I should be pleased to ask you the same question, if I may 

 be so bold. Though, to be sure, I can imagine what you'll 

 answer, but then to confirm the independent conclusion which I 

 had arrived at from my own reflections, you see, and for edifica- 

 tion thank you. Now then, gentlemen." 



