, 1872-12-29
English Eaagazincs-4aCor1a-
Hill :azae1 E7r:tser-g,
'Some Peculiarities of Society
in Anerica.''
Need Of an Imperial Spirit Through
cut the British Empire,
The "lrish Brigade" in the Ser
vice Of France.


Corn1.i1l.
To American renders, no ar.clo in the Decena-
ber English magazines will be more attractive
thaa the Cornhu:'s paper On
SOME PEcULIAE1rE3 OF SOCIETY IN AMERICA"
Eyebrows nre always raised and an interroca-
ton point shaped between the lips, when one
hears that another Brton has written book or
article on us, and we draw around US tho impen-
etrable covering Of conceit, so as not to be
wounded By the arrows OF malice and misinter-
pretatlon- But this writer begins by the uu-
usual remark that he does not know why this
paper should be entitled by him. or the editor OF
cornhiA rs being about tho peculiari.ies OF
society in America. The phrase, be says, seems
to imply that there is something odd and angu-
lar in American CUSTOMS
whereas the fuct is merely that theae customa
dier from our own. which, in their turn appear to
o:ter civilized nations just aa odd and unreasonable
H:rodotus By way Of illustrating the remark, which
was perhaps less Of commonplace then than now,
they heard from Greek traveller that in lis counrT
People used to burn the bodies of their deceased rea
lives cried out with horror,their own practice being
to kill and eat an aged parent. In a manner slightly
less marked We do much the these Indians we
1neonscoIsly assume our notions Of propriey to be
the natural Ones and require defence apology
to be offered for any deyiations from them.
Such uncommon cosmoColitanism on the part
OF the writer makes feel safer IN his hands
than in those Of most Of his countrymen travel.
lers. and he certainly gives fair picture Of our
society, allowance being made for the point Of
F-aw and the nature of the observer.
The first point in which the difference from England
strikes str4ngcr is the liberty allowed girls and
young men Of gong about together. They walk in
in 1 hS sTss s Of not in
oun:s OF brothers, without asking any permission, and
without attracting notice. girl may do this with
Gha T 1-1arv
young gentle Of Providence, r. l., and an e1-
tr~mey nice fellow he was, who. for year more,
with one young lady whose company pleased him. and
nobody eensarca either Of them. Both belonged to
the best society.
One or two of his observations lead one to
suspect that he has not gained entrance to the
really best society. This is often the cause Of
tie misrepresentation concerning cur man
ners and ways. EnGlishmen who have all their
lives studied with reyerertial fidelity the man
lers and customs OF their lords and ladies',
coming to America, and getting access to only
second or third ratio circles, insist contrasting
these as the American best with the English
lest. The writer says that young ladies often
nVlte young men to accompany them to even
n3 parties to which tho latter have not been in
riteQ:
He takes her there accordingly, presented rs her
Ea:s to the lady of the house, leaves her to her
d7ssrss, ard takes her home again in the small hours
drawback to employing hira is his tendency to hang
s'ro md his owner ut the dance, where, perhaps, he
ia1i scarcely any cne and bother her by asking for
daoces and iatroductionH
1t would be difficult to find frst-class house
where any such escort was not treated better
than that. So far as being left to themselves,
on the same footing as the other guests, and the
hc5tess If she is weE-brcd takes nt least as
r1uch pains to insure them q pleasant evening
as she does i'll the care OF those who may be
:nl hoffo +o
IN the way, if young lady .ishes to go to the
tIs*re Or OPERA she may ask gentleman to take her
7he:c lie can't we'll refuse the honor, though it is
expensive for carriagehire in New York is about
Eve Times high in London he provides
ricgo III has of his own} calls for her, takes
Dei.nonicys Afterwards. This is obviously father
e.r1nser deviation from English than the
u.Aee ii Lcndau docs not govern ali our cities> and
1cT ia:alies where it Iaght be thought to
~impesciiablc people do it and permit It, md that
S-:- il not compromised by It.
Here, too, there is a little misepprehension on
TIE Fart Of OUT English friend. Young ladies do
offer such invitations in New York but no proper
young woman allows her guest to provide tbs
carriage. In such cases, the carriage is always
sen. by her to his door; and, as for the supper
at Delmonico's it is altogether optional, and, if
offered, it is generally thought tone or two
under ine breeding for lady to accept anything
beyond slight refreshInent.
I: is by means matter Of course that girls
here the acquaintanccs OF young who lives at
home generally known to the res: Of his family,
ID anee nut not
Sout the Spanish song she has sung so Rretiy; she
to she m gonea oang T.
all the afternoon You 60 to tho house and ask for
her; she down and receives you slone or with
as doss s NAY 2aep n
aeqain;snce for long enough, fall in lore with her II
S ssl5 oSs ssF
understood that she is both able and entitled to look
it viii happen that two sisters move in different sets,
brothers among ourselves, and know very little Of
The same idea that girl docs not need tho sort Of
eciion which custom insists On putting her under
es haa she can vel DO here so
tsvs{ & alo9s on the r. 5a50as T. perhaps all the
out attracting notice. stopping hotels the She
so foot in the horsecars through the streets
Of city without being exposed to remark much less
to pcrtinence Except perhaps in the business qu1r-
ter OF New York City, there is scarcely spot in the
Union where it would surprise one to ind young
lady Walking clone. AL til, is Of course much
facilitated By the arrangements carefully made
the comfort Of ladies, for whom there is reserved
train, ana who find in every hotel Of pretension .
spacious ladies' drawngroon, often the only aud al
ways tic best public in the house, to which
but they and the gentlemen in their train admit
ted Nsrertheess it is greatly to the credit Of the
everywhere unnolested aud there arc few points in
which TRANSATLANTIC ways come out moro clearly
Ilor to our OWL. To lie an isolated woman ia much
less formidable thing there than in the old countries.
It is most clearly i'll the Western States that tho free
dom and destructive swing Of American eocetyi most
prominent. Bat every where the Union one can't
help feeling how considerable the difference Eng
land isl say England +" because any one who knows
Ireland will think the social contrast that country
far less marked Society III America is altogether
easier than ours simpler r,ore castc more variable,
gay and sparkling, moro tolerant {spite Of De
Tocqneylles reflections On democratic Uniformity
Of individual diyergcnces from tho conuon type.
Women hold it in very conspicuous and influential
place They haye more control over their properly
on q much moro complete equality with their
husbands in tho oye Of the law. They have
made their way into most a Of the learned profess
cnt man, aud not exrected-no, not even ty
respectable, oldfsshioned people-to be mere redec-
tion Of his wishes and opinions They not talked
down to in America YOU never hear there, you
often do here, trivial young Ehipper-snappcr con-
descending to lady intellectually well as morally
his superior, but who would think i: unbecoming to