THE ART OF INTERROGATION.
LTO THE EDITOR OF THE "SPECTATOR." _I SIB,—The pleasant paper entitled "The Art of Interroga- tion" published in the Spectator of August 8th is evidently written by some one upon whom fortune has not frowned so blackly as to introduce him to the American who says "I want to know!" He is in no wise a connection of the late Mr. Arthur Clennam, to whom without doubt the young Barnacle would very gladly have addressed some of the admonitions of the article had he been sufficiently clever to frame them. "I want to know!" is the ignorant rustic Yankee's way of saying "Fancy that, now!" and it is uttered with a drawl intensely exasperating to any American hearer intent upon convincing himself that the speech of his contemporaries is as good English as the speech of his English forefathers. "I want to know!" is the second step in a nicely graded series of ejaculations expressive of astonishment, as thus :—" Mr. Chamberlain has virtually abandoned the principles of the Cobden Club."— "Sho !"—" He has spoken in favour of Protection."—" I want to know !"—" He favours taxing imports."—" Do [or Dew) tell !"—" And he names imported food as a fit article to be taxed."—" You don't tell me so I "—" And he expects John Bull to like it."—" Well, I never !"—" And he expects the British workman to like it particularly."—"
Boston, Mass., U.S.A.