. Vanishing England . OLD MANSIONS 183 search for old houses. But a word must be said for thepriceless contents of many of our historic mansions andmanors. These often vanish and are lost for ever. Ihave alluded to the thirst of American millionaires forthese valuables, which causes so many of our treasures tocross the Atlantic and find their home in the palaces ofBoston and Washington and elsewhere. Perhaps if ourvaluables must leave their old resting-places and go out t It I. 1 Fixed Bench in the Hall, Crowhurst Place, Surrey T\c^ of the country, we should prefer them to go to Americathan to
. Vanishing England . OLD MANSIONS 183 search for old houses. But a word must be said for thepriceless contents of many of our historic mansions andmanors. These often vanish and are lost for ever. Ihave alluded to the thirst of American millionaires forthese valuables, which causes so many of our treasures tocross the Atlantic and find their home in the palaces ofBoston and Washington and elsewhere. Perhaps if ourvaluables must leave their old resting-places and go out t It I. 1 Fixed Bench in the Hall, Crowhurst Place, Surrey T\c^ of the country, we should prefer them to go to Americathan to any other land. Our American cousins are ourkindred ; they know how to appreciate the treasures ofthe land that, in spite of many changes, is to them theirmother-country. No nation in the world prizes a highlineage and a family tree more than the Americans, andit is my privilege to receive many inquiries fromacross the Atlantic for missing links in the family pedi-gree, and the joy that a successful search yields compen-sates for all ones trouble. So if our treasures must gowe should rather send them to America than to Germany. 184 VANISHING ENGLAND It is, however, distressing to see pictures taken from theplace where they have hung for centuries and sent toChristies, to see the dispersal of old libraries at Sother-bys, and the contents of a house, amassed by generationsof cultured and wealthy folk, scattered to the four windsand bought up by the nouveaux riches. There
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