UNITED STATES AND CANADA 147 



answer. He wasn't going to touch it, not he. He'd 

 brought up the tea, and that was quite enough for 

 him. But when it came to singing, they were on 

 common ground, and quite deHghtful company. 



I wish I could remember one tithe of the good 

 stories I heard in Washington. Senator Evarts had 

 the reputation of being not only one of the cheeriest 

 raconteurs, but also one of the readiest wits in the 

 Capital. A lady once asked him if drinking so 

 many different wines did not make him feel seedy 

 the next day. ** No, madam," he replied, *' it's the 

 indifferent wines that produce that result." Electric 

 trams had only recently been introduced at Wash- 

 ington when we went there. There were a fair 

 number of Chinese in the Capital, most of whom 

 kept laundries. The effect produced on one of 

 them on first seeing one of these trams is best 

 described in his own words : ** No pushee ! no 

 pullee ! go like hellee all the samee." Should this 

 meet the eye of the attractive wife of a certain 

 Senator, I wonder if she will remember how I 

 laughed when she told me that story ! Some of 

 those American ladies have a keen sense of humour, 

 and are the best company in the world ! What 

 a contrast to some of our staid and ultra-orthodox 

 English matrons ! ! 



