My Wonderful Year | Page 7

very much like
amber colored rocks. The girls who accompanied the administrative
staff to dinner had coffee in Miss Alleyne's room.
Miss Alleyne looks like a little Dresden doll with her beautiful snow
white hair, light blue eyes, and pink cheeks. Everything in her room
looks as fragile as she. It was Mrs. Frances Armour, the assistant bursar
and secretary, whom one worried about routine matters of one's daily

life. She was very kind and one enjoyed knowing her. The matron, Mrs.
Jacobson, aroused none of the fear of the matrons of fiction. I was more
than happy in my associations at College Hall, and I feel that the
happiness of my year abroad was made complete by the kindness of the
administrative staff and of the girls with whom I lived.
CHAPTER IV
LONDON
London is indeed a cosmopolitan city for on its streets one may see
people from the four corners of the world, many of them still wearing
their native costumes. Especially picturesque are the women of India
one sees in their beautiful saris. To me the sari was always a source of
admiration. The sari, so I was told by one of the girls who roomed at
the Hall, consists of five yards of cloth, forty inches wide, draped and
tucked into the fascinating costume that it is. It may be as expensive as
the wearer is able to make it, the binding often consisting of delicate
embroidery or jewels. I tried wearing one and have a picture which I
took in it and prize very highly, not for its beauty, but because the sari
is so beautiful.
Transportation is by bus, tube or subway, and by tram, not street car.
The buses and cars are double deck. Smoking and dogs are allowed on
the upper deck. Fare is paid by mileage, the cheapest rate being Id or
two cents in United States coin. For short distances this is an advantage,
but long distances are very expensive. I asked for a transfer, only to
find that transfers are not issued since you pay only for the distance you
ride on a particular line. The motorman has a compartment to himself,
entering and leaving it separately from the passengers. The conductor
collects the fare after the passenger has been seated. He never forgets
that "thank you." Standing is not permitted on London buses or trams
except during the rush hour in the morning and in the evening, and then
only five persons are permitted to stand. The conductor calls "full up"
and the passenger waits for the next bus or tram. The tube cannot be
regulated in this manner as there is no conductor to call "full up". The
fare is paid at the gate upstairs, the ticket being deposited upstairs as

one reaches his destination. The buses and trams have no heat and no
doors, only a doorway, so riding is not very pleasant on inclement days.
Scotland Yard is synonymous with English law enforcement. Every
person who plans to be in England over three months must register with
the Bow Street Police Office, giving a brief history of himself and his
family, his reasons for staying in the country, and he must sign a sworn
statement that he will not seek gainful employment while in the country.
Three weeks before leaving the country one must notify the Bow Street
Office of his departure, the exact time that he shall leave, and the name
of the ship that will carry him back to his native land. The English
policeman or Bobby as he is called is known the world over for his
efficiency and courtesy. He attends a training school before being
assigned to duty, and he is familiar with every landmark in London and
knows the route of every bus and tram. This information is always
graciously given to anyone who asks and is concluded with "Thank you
for asking." Because I was a foreigner in England and because I was
always on my way somewhere I looked upon the London policeman as
my friend, and for the first time in my life I learned to welcome the
sight of a policeman. One scarcely goes over two blocks without
passing at least one officer. To my very great surprise, the London
policeman carries no weapon, or if he does it is certainly a concealed
weapon. He is a person to be respected and he is respected. The
uniform is blue wool, belted style with the coat a little longer than
regulation length. The hat has a very high stiff crown, giving height to
the wearer; it slopes toward the front and back into an extended bill that
shades the eyes and turns the water in the back. Every policeman has
his black raincape either under his arm