The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1875-10-02
Social Habits Of the Americans.

National habits, tastes and feelings DIFF
fer, and Americans, in several particulars,
are unlike their English relatives. The
Englishman is shy and exclusive. lie
builds high wall around his house and
garden TO keep out the eyes of the public
The American builds a fine house and
lays out handsome garden, that Others
may see and enjoy them as well as himself.
Shut in aud hidden they would lose half
their value. He builds near the road, to
be better seen by the passer-by; aud his
only fence is a low paling, as light and
open as possible The Englishman likes
to eat and drink in private-shut up in
his room or close little box. The Amer.
lean prefers large, gay dining room, and
the presence Of many guests. What has
he to be ashamed Of? He wishes to see
aud to be seen. He suns himself in the
public gaze, He enjoys society, and enters
into the life around him. The more the
merrier The larger the hotel, the larger
the steamboat, the more people about him,
the greater his enjoyment. On the rail-
way the Englishman's ideal is to be shut up
alone, or, at the most, with his little private
party. He has taken the coach with two
seats facing each other, so that half the
passengers must ride backwards as the
model Of his railway carriage. The Ameri.
can prefers his spacious and handsome car
with its fifty passengers. He likes to walk
through the train and find some one he
knows. He is not afraid of intruding, is
gregarious, and social-ready to discuss
trade or politics with stranger, without
buttoning up his pockets. He is not afraid
that some person below his rank will claim
his acquaintance. He shakes hands with
the President, and discusses the coming
election with the blacksmith or shoemaker.
He calculates to treat every well behaved
man like gentleman, and every woman to
him is lady, to whom he is courteous,
respectful, and if need be, protective.
Perhaps the most repulsive thing an
English traveller meets with in America,
is the want Of any distinction of classes.
On the railway there is but one class and
one price. The best cars are, Of course,
reserved for ladies and those who accom-.
pany them; but all pay the same fare.
The rudest American understands that a
lady, that any woman, has prescriptive
right to the front seat at the show, to the
head of the table at dinner, to the
best cabins and state rooms on the steamer,
and the best cars in the railway train.
She may be rich or poor, mistress or
maid; those are her rights as a woman.
There is not steamboat running on the
widest western river where male passen-
ger ever takes his seat ut table until
every woman is seated in her place of
honor. A hundred hungry men with
hot dinner smoking before them, will pa
tiently wait until some young miss has
fixed her last curl, and taken her seat near
the head of the table. And lone women.
old or young, pretty or ugly, may travel
from ono end of America TO the other,
finding kindness, ciyility and every assis-
tance she needs from every man she meets.
There are then, in price and privilege, no
first class, second class, or third class pas
sengers. But there are on steamboats,
deck'passengors, generally going West, or
up the Mississippi; and immigrant trains
at very low rates, are run upon some of
the principal lines of railway. But an
American never travels by these trains.
He puts on his Sunday clothes, pays full
fare--as high as the highest-and holds
himself as good as the best.-Foyty years