Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1876-02-19
English Traits ~ Seen by sohu PAM

Lcipgn Letter 10 ". Y. Tyf5gvel
The average American can be Quite a.
aWkWaTk and dizagreeable as any y, Ia.
mailer born IL he sets out with the deliner
ale intention of being gentecl and sr-a,af1l D.
aI'eI me Gus tom OF the country in waIca he
IFei.s 10 be. Gou viii notice. however
that the FL gliSbman, unlike our peoo!l,
nCNC! seems 10 have a sense that a., is / n t-.y
way makir < himself ridiculous He Will - >
or co he most absurd things with tie ugcoii-
sciCus air of those who DO good by Steal u,
and would blush 10 fLd fame. When h,.
visits America he is never disturbed bv the
thought that people may be laughing az him
He never seeks out q tailor at once and de-
mands TO be dressed like the natives: ~ is
quite enough for him that his costume be
tnat which wa considered the correct thing
in London. If not like unto that worn in
New York, II is equally unlike that worn IN
the capital OF Ashantee; and he falls back
on TIE rejection that IL is not his fault that
these countries are as yet less civilized than
ms own. here at home, too, he puts on pi city
much what he pleases and does very IN lcn
as he elects TO do. He mounts an ulster
OF gigantic plaid and striking color
sweeping the ground, perhaps. ana with a
Scotch cap that lies on bis head Ike an acorn
cup ON kidney potato, goes calmly out up
on parade. No one laughs at him; the idea
that any one could do 50 never occurs to him:
even the small boys of the street DO not fol-
low him and ask where he buys his clothes
80 when he sets out for Switzerland, in tour
LIST costume, with walking shoes which cast
sudden and strange shadows over the rave
ment, hat box IN ore hand, an alpen stock
umbrella strapped TO his back q talescOus
Slung over his shoulder, and the whole
Crowned Wlth cotton hat imparted from
Calcutta-the idea that lac cuts a queer
nSule EeNeF crosses his placid mind, aud he
jumps into cab with all his bundles and
drives oil 20 the station with all his might
ihlLklHg OF nothing but being comfortable
and troubled by the thought that he NAV
lose some OF his luggage. Satire the while
does not perch on his shOulner and ShDuf in
his ear, What guy. An American on the
other hand, setting out on such a tourney
would sooner leave his shirt at home fhau RIM
lie rlSk OF being laughed at ny strangers for
takiIS IL along. So, too, the city merchant
when he chaffers with an omnibus Guard ar
some ptTFeyOF Of cats meat over an over
charge of penny. The fact that hyStaulars
may think him ''Sn1ail, may imagine tina he
Is wasting time N pursuit OF q penny that
might better tie employed in making q
shilling, he cares not at all: prominent in
his mind stands forth only the single idea
that q Brlton is being deiTaUdei and until
he gets his rights not one OF his sturdy pegs
VIII he stir And bystanderS all sympatbiZe
With him, FOR there is nothing more sacre
IN BrltOn's mind Than q peony-unless Al
be SlXpcnce. And before he will be wrong
fully kept cut of either he VIII resoluteIv
demand 1T with extended hand till the hand
crops roT6rless by his side; then he will
bTlng his wrong before lord chief baron OF
The klLgdom. And rather like this falling
back on what one individually knows or
lhlnKs 10 be right, regardless of the ieers of
the crowd-deaf 10 jeers il they be Uttered,
FOR That matter. For we are very apt TO
admire any quality which we do not our
selves possess. And TO me there is a peculiar
neutrality-suspicious. If there be q crowd
standing round-in the claimants appeal,
when you teEder him the shilling to which
only he is legally entitled: Look a here,
now, you wouldn't go to treat man like
ing, would YEP Blest if I'd brought We, if
I'd kIOwid it,"