196 : MY AMERICAN FRIENDS

human bodies sunbathing on the beaches, and
behind them cars, hardly less numerous, parked
in mile-long rows.

And now the Director of Music gets to work.
In an aside he informs me that" these people must
be made to laugh before you can make them sing."
So he has his string of stories ready, a story to
introduce every song. One story, which I don't
quite understand, refers to ourselves, " two English
visitors; " but the jolly crowd understands and
roars with laughter on hearing it; we are
then bidden to step to the front of the platform
and show ourselves; which we do, and are
greeted with thundering cheers. The singing
follows in a hurricane, vigorously conducted by
the skilful Director who, on the singing going
fiat for a moment, instantly stops it, fires a joke
at the repentant singers, and sets them off again
fortissimo; some of the songs religious (as befits
a Sunday afternoon), none vulgar, and " Drink
to me only with thine eyes " clearly the favourite.
Then, as an interlude, we have " the Harmonica
Orchestra," or concert on the mouth organ.
From remarks the Director lets fall to me in
asides, I think he regards this as his masterpiece;
the performers are rescued hooligans, for our
Director, man of many jokes as he is, has great
ideals and takes his life work very seriously, as
the best jokers always do. The mouth organs
play melodiously and we find ourselves a little
emotionalized as we listen; but the Director