We had an uneventful passage, although very distressing to Nannie on
account of sea-sickness. During a two weeks' stop in London we visited
Nannie's relatives, Mrs. Langworthy, at Guys House, Maidenhead,
near Windsor Castle. The Langworthys were delightful people and our
acquaintance a very agreeable experience, although it began in a
rather embarrassing way.
Neither of us had much experience in "high society," or had the
money to flourish in it. We carried to Guys House no other clothing
than that in our traveling bags. At the depot, a great retinue of
lackeys clad in knee breeches, and coach and baggage wagon apparently
waited for some great personage. But Mr. Edward Langworthy, the
son, introduced himself, and asked for our luggage, when we rather
shamefacedly confessed that we had only our two valises.
We were dressed simply, like most Americans, but we had America's
courage, and met the situation without much chagrin. The Langworthys
dressed for dinner, but we had to make the best of what we had. We had
a bedroom lit by candles and without fire, although it was March and
the weather very cold.
In the ante-room the next morning I saw a large washtub in the middle
of the bare floor, two-thirds full of water, and a chair containing
some towels and soap. I remarked, "Nannie, look at that. Do they
expect us to bathe in that cold room in that cold water? I will not do
it."
Nannie replied, "Well, I am too proud to have them think we do not
wash," and, seizing the soap, she made a lot of lather and sprinkled
water on the floor to leave conclusive evidence that we really were
civilized.
Mrs. Langworthy asked me, "How do you get about in London?" I replied
that we used the omnibus, as Nannie thought the "Hansom cabs" unsafe,
and refused to ride in them. Mrs. Langworthy said, "You shouldn't do
that. Only tradespeople and banker's clerks ride in omnibuses."
Before going to Paris my commission as major in the 10th Cavalry
arrived. A military tailor made me a uniform, which, with the gay
attire Nannie bought in both London and Paris, satisfied Mrs.
Langworthy on our second visit, made after returning from Paris,
that we Americans could do right after all! We enjoyed our visits in
their beautiful house, a fine English estate, and always recalled our
acquaintance with our delightful English relatives with much pleasure.
We were in Paris at the opening of the exposition, where we met the
other attachés. Among the Americans we met Lucien Young, a very
interesting naval officer, in whose carriage Nannie and I rode to
the opening. Our uniforms conformed much with the Prussian style,
especially my helmet. Leaving the exposition immediately behind the
Prince of Wales' entourage, the French took us for Germans, and looked
upon us very coldly. Some bright Frenchman, discovering on my helmet
the words, "E Pluribus Unum," called out to his countrymen that we
were Americans, when we received almost as many cheers as the Prince
of Wales himself.