, Mr. Parker insisted that he would at once re-christen
her "Lady Betty," which would have a prettier meaning than anything
else; and then I was sorry I'd spoken.

I had expected to be disappointed in the river, because nearly
everybody I met on board ship tried to impress upon me that we had
nothing half so good in England; while as for the Rhine, it wasn't a
patch on the Hudson. I even wanted to be disappointed, out of
patriotism or spite, which are much the same thing sometimes; but I
couldn't. I found the Hudson too grand for petty jealousy. It seemed to
me like a great, noble poem, rolling on and on in splendid cadences;
and I have heard some music of Wagner's that it reminded me of,
somehow.

The hills or mountains--I'm not sure which to call them--even the
Palisades which have been so dinned into my ears--were not high enough
to satisfy me at a first glance; but soon I saw that it was their
grouping and their perfect proportion in relation to each other which
made them so exquisite. As we steamed on, along the green and golden
flood, between banks that appeared to fall back in admiration, I began
to love the Hudson so much that I could have shrieked with rage at the
great staring advertisements on hoardings. What can the scenery have
done to Americans, that they should do their best to spoil it? No
wonder most of them come over to see ours, which we have the sense to
let alone, even if it crumbles.

Sally and Mr. Parker laughed at my fury, but I didn't see how they
could take it so calmly. "It isn't my scenery, so I don't trouble
myself," said Potter, when I asked why he didn't get up a secret night
expedition to burn or chop down all the hoardings. But I'm sure English
people aren't careless like that. Each person thinks the good of the
whole country is _his_ business; at least one would suppose so by the
way everybody who comes to Battlemead talks politics and affairs of
public interest, morning, noon and night. It seems, though, in America
only policemen and people who live in Washington care about politics
really, except to get benefits for themselves; and it isn't good form
to be too much interested in such things.

Victoria would like this rule, for she has confessed to me that
political questions bore her, and she would much rather be talked to
about love or motoring, or even bridge; but she always reads the
newspapers hard for fifteen minutes while Thompson does her hair, if
she's going out to a big