AN OCTOBER ABROAD 173 



and I hope appreciate. In London the bootblack 

 sakites you with a respectful bow and touches his 

 cap, and would no more think of pursuing you or 

 answering your refusal than he would of jumping 

 into the Thames. The same is true of the news- 

 boys. If they were to scream and bellow in Lon- 

 don as they do in New York or Washington, they 

 would be suppressed by the police, as they ought to 

 be. The vender of papers stands at the corner of 

 the street, with his goods in his arms, and a large 

 placard spread out at his feet, giving in big letters 

 the principal news-headings. 



Street-cries of all kinds are less noticeable, less 

 aggressive, than in this country, and the manners 

 of the shopmen make you feel you are conferring a 

 benefit instead of receiving one. Even their loco- 

 motives are less noisy than ours, having a shrill, 

 infantile whistle that contrasts strongly with the 

 loud, demoniac yell that makes a residence near a 

 railway or depot, in this country, so unbearable. 

 The trains themselves move with wonderful smooth- 

 ness and celerity, making a mere fraction of the 

 racket made by our flying palaces as they go sway- 

 ing and jolting over our hasty, ill- ballasted roads. 



It is characteristic of the English prudence and 

 plain dealing, that they put so little on the cars and 

 so much on the road, while the reverse process is 

 equally characteristic of American enterprise. Our 

 railway system no doubt has certain advantages, or 

 rather conveniences, over the English, but, for my 

 part, I had rather ride smoothly, swiftly, and safely 



