for saying that a similar crowd of persons in this country, placed under
the same tempting and exasperating circumstances, would have created a row
in five minutes, as would be the natural consequence if there were but a
single ruffian in the whole lot. Nothing will strike the American tourist
more when he comes to the Old World, than the good order which prevails
everywhere. To meet two persons scolding and insulting each other, is an
extremely rare occurrence. The orderly behavior of such a company of
peasants will impress one more with the importance of teaching the young,
lessons of patience, humility and _obedience_ (which latter quality of
character is the mother of a hundred virtues), than volumes of dry
philosophy on social ethics will generally avail.

I saw an elderly lady kiss a middle-aged man alternately upon each cheek;
an incident that is common in European social life, and that shows how the
affections of the heart are cultivated and find expression. In Brussels I
saw a son rest his hand affectionately upon his mother's shoulder, as they
stood amongst the multitude in a public square.

I reached Bruixelle (Brussels) at about three o'clock in the afternoon. In
order to see what kind of money was in circulation in Belgium, I
immediately bought some pears of a fruit-woman, and handed her half a
franc (10 cents). You may imagine how I was perplexed when the lady handed
me a dozen coins of various sizes and values, as my change. Knowing,
however, that though the coins had different impressions, the-system was
the same as that of French money, I murmered to myself, "Blessed be the
Decimal System," and went to some retired quarter to count it! One piece
was a large whitish coin marked 10c., and worth 2 cents in our money;
others were centimes, which are equivalent to but one fifth of our cent! I
soon learned to know them all.