Andrews on one occasion desired to have a couple of eggs for breakfast, but could not make the maid of the inn comprehend his meaning. He tried all he knew of French, Flemish, and German, but the girl shook her head. At length a bright idea struck the artist. He drew from his pocket a pencil and note-book, and sketched a couple of oval forms, meaning them for eggs, and explained by gestures that _that_ was what he wanted. The girl's face brightened at once when she saw the sketch, and with a nod of intelligence she tripped away. In a few minutes she returned and presented the hungry artist with--_a pair of spectacles!_ The late Mr. S. Read, who was one of the first special artists employed on the pictorial press, travelled much abroad, yet he knew little or nothing of any language save his mother tongue. Germany, Italy, Austria, Spain, France, Belgium, Switzerland, were all visited by him, and he got on very well without speaking the language of any of those countries. He was a man of genial humour, accustomed to make the best of everything, and not easily put out by trifles. He was once travelling in the south of France when a fellow-passenger in the train accosted him in French, and was much surprised to find he was not understood. 'Vat!' said the Frenchman; 'you travel and speak no French! Speak you German?' 'No.' 'Nor Italian?' 'No.' 'Spanish?' 'No.' 'Ah, mon Dieu! you travel and speak noting!' and with a pitying grimace and shrug of the shoulders he looked round at the other passengers. Presently our artist took his revenge. As they were passing a town with a ruined castle on a hill he said, with much fervour, addressing the Frenchman,-- 'How beautifully that old tower is relieved by the dark foliage! What a splendid contrast is the cold grey of the hill behind! How harmoniously the distance is blended with the middle distance, and the middle distance with the foreground, by means of the bridge across the river!' The Frenchman stared, stammered, and confessed he did not comprehend. 'What!' said our artist; 'you travel and do not understand English!' 'Ver leetle.' 'Do you speak Scotch?' 'Non, m'sieur.' 'Nor Irish!' 'Non.' 'Welsh?' 'Non.' 'Suffolk?' 'Non, non, m'sieur.' With an exact imitation of the Frenchman's contemptuous shrug our friend turned to their fellow-travellers amid the loud laughter of those who understood the joke.