The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1879-02-02

has chosen, OF course. a typical example. and
therefore he discreetly avoids nllusion to ances-
trail distinction. holding probably. that tho less
said on that subject tho better. But whatever
awkward facts might be disclosed respecting
the grandparents or the rural cousins OF the
westgatcs, it is certain that their house ut
Newport is invested with as much refinement
and attractvoness as Is perhaps attainablo IN
tho United States. 1t Ia manifestly one OF those
tasteful and sumptuous vllas facing the sea
and girdled by a few acres OF pleasant lawn
and shrubbery. The fact that tho average out
lay upon these establishments represents an
investment Of ton to thirty thousand pounds.
and that the normal expenditure OF their occu-
pants might be reckoned Mt from six to twelve
thousand pounds year would unquestonably
make an impression on the mind 81 British
commercial traveller. He would call them
villas Tor "willas y as we have done. and not
cottages" ns their owners more astutely term
Thorn. Yet he might allege with perfect
truth that within a circuit OF ten miles
around St. Paul's there are hundreds.
perhaps thousands. OF similar establishments.
tho boast and JOY OF city magnatcs and rich So
licitors whlo the cotton lords OF Manchester
and the ship brokers OF Liverpool can point to
scores OF suburban mansions within easy dis
lance OF factory or counting ROOM and main
tanned upon scale quite equnl to the Newport
standard OF their American cousins. Lotus bear
in mind too that In almost all these households
the sons at all events. and in the case Of Mt
torneys. very often the fathers also. have grind
-uated Mt oxford or at Cambridge. while the girls
have been sent TO French or English boarding
schools. which there is no reason to think in
ferior to the most exclusive and esteemed semi
narics Of Boston and New York. We need not
pointout that tho typical representative Of the
best American society ia no more accustomed.
than tho young English maiden Of the lower
middle clnss. to receive her training from
governess ut home But 1t may Zoe said. admit
ting that in all these respects OF BIRTH wealth.
and the appliances Of culture and refinement
young English woman OF this grade ia quito on
n level with Miss Bessie Alden yet that owing
to the spirit OF scrvility and seli-abascmcnt
generated by n regime Of caste sho lacks tho
latter's independence, serene solf-posscssion.
and graceful dignity. As a rule. 10 doubt she
does. and since people have q right to accept
general deductions as the rules OF conduct.
Lady Pimlico would be justified in
certain distasto for her society. But when
we consider the magnitude and aftluonce OF
the lower middle class in England. and
the infinite variations Of home influence.
we may be sure there are some houses free
from the prevailing faint OF iawning and tuft-
hunting-some families whose daughters are
quite able to think Of II lord. and talk 10 him.
with perfect na1vctt. spontancity aud srf-re-
spcct And were the materials OF calculation nj
hand. 1t might turn ont that tho number Of
such unohicctionablc damsels in the lower mid.
die class docs not fall much below the number
II American ladies who can speak the
English language with the ease and grace and
intuitiye correctness % even London attor-
ney's daughter: and which cRn we reasonably
suppose would prove more odious and shock
ing in daily companlonship to a lady Of rank-a
certain want Of poise and repose. and sclfnsscr
ton which Ia so easily rrmcdied 10y n change Of
circumstances. or the habltual use Of words and
dioms which. to her at least are yulgarsns.
and which AFRO so hard to weed away. Here we
are brought to tho threshold II an interesting
question which Mr.. James shows an inclination
TO evade. but which probably lies very near to
tho root OF the antipathy encountered by Ameri-
can ladies in London drawing rooms.
The fart II that tho Duchess OF Bayswatcr
treaied Mrs. Wesignte and Miss Bessie Alden
rather better than she would trent the young
ladies' waom Lord Lambeth might have danced
with at Allcrshot or at garrison balls in Ire-
land. or in Canada. Our countrywOmrn's
grievance was that she did not rate thcm so
highly NJ they rated themselves. II never
seems to have occurred to them that ahospiiahc
merchant Of Dublin or Montreal who had benn
delighted TO entertain the prospective heir 10 u
tukedom would not dream OF expecting tho
attcr's mother and sisters % call upon his
daughters during his sol0urn In London. But
Mrs. Wostgate and Miss Alden are indignant
that the Duchess does not instantly ec-
cept them at their own valuation and
thus accord them distinct prctm-
inence over ladies ~ Irish or Canadian
origin. Where are her instincts and hcr in
sightl' cries Mrs. Wcstgatc. in effect; she
ought 70 have seen that we were ladies'. her
social equals in all respects. lam sure we have
better mnnncrs and hre infinitely hotter
dressed" Now. suppose We look into this mat
ter. The Duchess had rha,trd with the Ameri-
can travellers for ten or fifteen minutes and tho
conversation had been. We believe. or might
have boen. preceded by an interchange Of
formal notes. 1t may be- that an acquaintance
Of this limited extent did not gravey impugn
the Duchess's in,uitions. but that on the con-
trary our countrywomen had unconsciousy
done not little 10 arouse and justify her prcju-
dices.
Had the invitation to Branches Castle boon
written by Lord Lambeth's mother. as would
naturally be the case MIR. james knows very
well that Mrs. Westgato. being typical Amcri-
can lady, would have made ridiculous blum
der in her answer. Provided hcr husbands
family could prefer a moro or less valid claim
TO n coat of arms. she would have been W III
nigh certain 10 use in her reply q sheet u paper
and an envelope with a crest stamped upon
them. Arms. Of course, are we'll enough. hut
crest on n woman's envcope-think Of thnt. 70
English damscls who have learned Mt lcnst the
rudiments OF hcrnldry from the bluz1ncd win
dows Of your fathers halls! BY what strange
tumble Of ideas can the f1ne who mover wore a
helmet be conceived to use the baro5'S crest
We may be sure no London solicitors daughter
or, Tor that matter. any English girl Of an in
curing turn, could be betrayed into Slip so
fundamental and absurd. Consucr. too. the
natural effect on the mind oi the Duchess
" This person" bhe would say. handling the let
ter to Lady Pimhco, has not only betrayed the
meannoss Of her birth. by this ur,postrrous
oversight. but by this attempt TO claim things
she clearly has no right TO. has shown herself
an egregous snob." Now theso bo somewhat
annoying. not 20 say bitter words; hut Mr.
James may conhde 10 us in hi. next novel. II he
chooses. how large proportion of the notes ne
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