English ways and by-ways: Being the letters of John and Ruth Dobson written from England to their friend, Leighton Parks: Classic Book Guide and Free Edition
English ways and by-ways: Being the letters of John and Ruth Dobson written from England to their friend, Leighton Parks: author and translator credits, catalogue synopsis, subjects and links to the Gutenberg reading formats.
English ways and by-ways: Being the letters of John and Ruth Dobson written from England to their friend, Leighton Parks is catalogued by Project Gutenberg with author credits for Parks, Leighton (1852–1938).
Catalogue synopsis
Project Gutenberg supplies this automated synopsis of the opening text:
"English ways and by-ways : Being the letters of John and Ruth Dobson written…." by Leighton Parks is a humorous epistolary travelogue written in the early 20th century. Framed as lively letters from two young Americans touring England before the Great War, it blends motoring adventures with sharp, affectionate sketches of English society, religion, and class. The likely focus is a light, witty comparison of English and American ways, aiming to entertain while gently promoting mutual understanding. The opening of this travelogue follows John, an overworked American clergyman, and his wife Ruth as a small inheritance prompts a long-dreamed European holiday—by motorcar. John endures a comic, hair‑raising driving “education,” they buy a “fool‑proof” Frontenac with a self-starter, sail on a German liner (complete with a Sunday service and reflections on national rivalries), and receive the car at Tilbury amid talk of docks and durability. Their journey up the Great North Road brings wrong-side-of-the-road blunders, a crumpled mudguard, cathedral visits, and literary musings, before a Yorkshire stay lets Ruth contrast smooth-running English households, nannies, and dinner rituals with American habits. A near-fatal downhill dash (caused by grabbing the fourth-speed lever instead of the brake) yields a key tip—use engine braking on descents—while Sunday brings an offended exit from a sermon on Jael and redemption in a tender evensong. The section closes with a Tory defense of the Established Church and a radiant slice of rural England: a huntsman “walking” hounds, a Derby-bred mount, a sheepdog at work, and irresistible cottages and gardens.
Book and edition facts
- Title: English ways and by-ways: Being the letters of John and Ruth Dobson written from England to their friend, Leighton Parks
- Author credits: Parks, Leighton (1852–1938)
- Catalogue language: English
Catalogue subjects
- Automobile travel -- Fiction
- England -- Description and travel -- Fiction
- Epistolary fiction
Gutenberg collections
- Category: American Literature
- Category: Humour
- Category: Travel Writing
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View the complete Gutenberg catalogue record. Project Gutenberg identifies this edition as public domain in the United States; that designation does not establish its copyright status in every country.
Source notes
Catalogue metadata is public domain and is supplied through Gutendex, which imports Gutenberg's machine-readable catalogue. The automated synopsis is source-supplied, not an independently verified review. Author dates above describe the credited people; no ebook release date is presented as the book's original publication date.
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