AND CHARACTERISTICS. 7 



It is not without interest, once in a while, to find out what 

 other people think of us. By us, I mean we Americans. 



On leaving England, where I lived a year and a half 

 I was told by the cashier of the iron establishment where I 

 worked in Lancashire, that the Americans were very queer 

 people ; and he asked me if I had bought a revolver to take 

 with me to Boston. 



I said no ; for I confessed I did not know how to use 

 one, and I was afraid I would do myself more damage 

 than good, and he said he was very sorry, for he knew I 

 would not have a very long lease of life in New England 

 without one. 



I have been here about fourteen years, from Maine to 

 Illinois, from Canada to North Carolina, and to the honor 

 of this country, I want to say I never owned one and never 

 had the need of that weapon during this long time. He 

 also stated very seriously that if I went to churches in New 

 England, I would see the men resting their feet on the top 

 of the pew in front, and that they were in the habit of 

 smoking pipes while in church. The first time I went into 

 a New England church, I sat anxiously waiting to see the 

 men put their feet on the pew in front and pull out 

 their pipes, but I was very agreeably disappointed, and I 

 have come to the conclusion that the New Englanders, al- 

 though they are a young race, are almost as civilized as 

 the people of Great Britain. 



I also heard of a German who emigrated to this country 

 and afterwards married an estimable young American lad v, 

 at which his parents were very much distressed ; and when 

 some years afterwards he travelled with his wife to see 

 the old folks, they were greatly relieved at seeing the 

 young wife ; for they said, we thought all the time that 

 coming from the United States she must be black, and she 

 is just as good-looking as we are. 



Now the ordinary Swedes also have a very imperfect 



