"I know your first question," I said; * you are going to ask me whether this is my first visit to America."

" You are right, that is generally our first question ; but I have another to ask you before. You have just eaten your first meal in America ; what did you have ?"

"Gentlemen," I replied, as seriously as I possibly could, " I -have just been, in for a piece of tvrbot, a beefsteak and potato chips, a celery salad, and a vanilla ice."

"And now," remarked another reporter, " I have an important question to put to you. I hope it will not astonish you." '* Oh 1" I replied, " I am in America, and quite ready not to be astonished at any thing."

" Well then,'' said he, '' I want to ask you what are your impressions of America."

" Excuse me," I exclaimed ; " I have only been in it three hours, and those three hours have been spent iv this hotel. You must really allow me to abstain for the moment from telling you what I think of America ; for you will admit, I hope, that ono must have passed a whole day at least in America in order to judge it with any accuracy." Here I rolled a cigarette and rang for a lemon squash.
The reporters immediately made an entry in their note- books.
" What is that you have put down ?" I asked.
