The Portland daily press., 1874-08-28
TERMS $500 PER ANNUM IN ADVANCE

| sentation copies of their Leaflets (published
az the authors risk) in their pockets ready for
| you, ana lady writer's by the score, who refer
frequently to their last book or article, ard
nave grown sallow and thin, they tell YOU,
from Inc OVerwork Of last winter American
human nature is prone to hero-worship, and
usually good-naturedly accepts these people at
tnelr own valuation. When man or woman
teiis US that this oyergrown ''P' of theirs,
winch cumbers their every movement, has
succeeded in doing anything whateyer-paint-
ing picture, honeyfugling the '. tes of
county writing magazine story. or even
earning money faster than other iobbers or
traders-we doff our hats to him loyally. and
make room for him on the beach or in tbe
ballroom to air and sun his little branch of
laurel. 1t all foots up satisfactorily in the
sum OF American greatness. But the people
who have done nothing and, so far as we can
learn, never tried to do aDything-when they
each parade before us with this hybrid crea-
ture which they call themselves, held up for
us 10 pay homage to-what are we to do
then.
Here is young Dutton, who descends into
a farmhouse full OF girls, surrounded by their
sweethearts, all coloress and wasp-waisted as
American girls usually are, but running over
with iun and good humor; boating, fishing,
acting chaiades, and flirting through the Au-
gust days, their cheeks grown brown, and
their hearts lighter with every hour. Dutton
comes, gloomy, fastidious, high-bred. Accord
ing to his own showing. His breeding hath
the mouldy flavor about it, and the weight of
all his dead ancestors. All the life of the
house dies suddenly out before il. The girls
discover that laughing and rowing and grow
ing frantic over good catch of mackerel. or
a picnic or and other jolty, is vulgar and Sin
pad iorm" the lads, clerks, and salesmen for
the most part, with this one change of health
Tor the year, hide in rooms to slip off their
flannel shifts and don their linen and best
studs, givesu their cricket and baseball and
saunter about tfe perches during the rest of
their two weeks holiday, trying to lisp gen.
teelly TO Dutton and affect a knowledge oil op-
eras, books, and people of whom they have
seldom heard. Or here Is Miss Smith, who
comes among batch of good, hearty, eyery-
day folks who care nothing for books or cul-
ture; why should she impose herself, watery
dilution OF Concord theories, on them and
trampie their commonplaceness under foot
day and night? We protest that Polly (who
is the pet of them ALL with her charming ig-
norance, her humility about her mistakes.
her sweet temper, ber eyes ready to laugh or
cry with you, is worth all your Concord theo-
rles OF life or practice TO boot. Aud there are
the Johusons and Wilson's and the innumer-
able clans of them who each varnt aud swae-
ger TINS gigantic "P' at each other the sum
mer through. They have not beauty, wit,
rank, or even money. No earthly claim for
superiority other than that is l. They have
that peculiar intolerance of little people foe
every man who has not lived in their village
and been run in their mould, who does not,
IKE themselves, spell Thompson with p.
Whether the friction of this month together
will rob each one of them of little Of his
overpowering Self, or whether each will creep
gladly home carrying his monster unharmed
with him, who can tell?