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The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft
·
George Gissing
99
XVI.
In
the
last
ten
years
I
have
seen
a
good
deal
of
English
inns
in
many
parts
of
the
country,
and
it
astonishes
me
to
find
how
bad
they
are.
Only
once
or
twice
have
I
chanced
upon
an
inn
(or,
if
you
like,
hotel)
where
I
enjoyed
any
sort
of
comfort.
More
often
than
not,
even
the
beds
are
unsatisfactory--either
pretentiously
huge
and
choked
with
drapery,
or
hard
and
thinly
accoutred.
Furnishing
is
uniformly
hideous,
and
there
is
either
no
attempt
at
ornament
(the
safest
thing)
or
a
villainous
taste
thrusts
itself
upon
one
at
every
turn.
The
meals,
in
general,
are
coarse
and
poor
in
quality,
and
served
with
gross
slovenliness.
I
have
often
heard
it
said
that
the
touring
cyclist
has
caused
the
revival
of
wayside
inns.
It
may
be
so,
but
the
touring
cyclist
seems
to
be
very
easily
satisfied.
Unless
we
are
greatly
deceived
by
the
old
writers,
an
English
inn
used
to
be
a
delightful
resort,
abounding
in
comfort,
and
supplied
with
the
best
of
food;
a
place,
too,
where
one
was
sure
of
welcome
at
once
hearty
and
courteous.
The
inns
of
to-day,
in
country
towns
and
villages,
are
not
in
that
good
old
sense
inns
at
all;
they
are
merely
public-houses.
The
landlord's
chief
interest
is
the
sale
of
liquor.
Under
his
roof
you
may,
if
you
choose,
eat
and
sleep,
but
what
you
are
expected
to
do
is
to
drink.
Yet,
even
for
drinking,
there
is
no
decent
accommodation.
You
will
find
what
is
called
a
bar-parlour,
a
stuffy
and
dirty
room,
with
crazy
chairs,
where
only
the
sodden
dram-
gulper
could
imagine
himself
at
ease.
Should
you
wish
to
write
a
letter,
only
the
worst
pen
and
the
vilest
ink
is
forthcoming;
this,
even
in
the
"commercial
room"
of
many
an
inn
which
seems
to
depend
upon
the
custom
of
travelling
tradesmen.
Indeed,
this
whole
business
of
innkeeping
is
incredibly
mismanaged.
Most
of
all
does
the
common
ineptitude
or
brutality
enrage
one
when
it
has
possession
of
an
old
and
picturesque
house,
such
as
reminds
you
of
the
best
tradition,
a
house
which
might
be
made
as
comfortable
as
house
can
be,
a
place
of
rest
and
mirth.
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