The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1879-09-03

HARPER's WEEKLY.
Mr.. Henry James, Jr.'s "Dsisy
Miller" and IAN International Epi-
sode," have occasioned q droll discus
sion in some English papers upon the
relative social courtesy toward each
other of Americans and Englishmen.
1t is alleged that, "a rule. English
men are more Hospitality received in
America than Americans in England,
and we remember ct . dinner given
in New York to an English author to
have heard from a very eminent
American author the remark that
there was no literary man in America
who would be 80 hoaored in Esq
land. But this was hardly true.
The form Of honor might possibly
differ; but there is no doubt that
Prescott and Motley and Longfellow
and Emerson, to 60 no further, were
as sincerely welcomed and honored
in England as any English author
has been in this country. Dickens
and Thackersy appealed directly to
the public as readers and lecturers,
and there was q good deal of amus-
ing extravsgsnce in our irst recep-
ton of "Boz.n On the other hand,
there can be no complaint of coldness
in Mr.. Froude's compliment to Mr..
Bret Hsrte q. the lats dinner in
London.
The difference that is remarked is,
however, very ineligible. There
are three reasons that English hospi-
tality should be unlike ours. One is
the greater national reserve of tenn
permanent; another, the classification
Of English society and q third, the
immense numbers of Americans who
go abroad. The Englishmen whs
travel in America are generally-not
always, of course, and not including
the commercial travelers-men of
education and leisure, whose visit to
America is Fart of their education,
and who are agreesble social COM
panions.
II, like Dean Stanley, they are
somewhat distinguished, we lionizs
them generously and good-humored-
ly. The reporters take good care to
inform US that the Duke Of Argyll sat
in the pilot house Of the steamer from
Portland, and expressed his pleasure
in the scenery, and his intention Of
calling upon Mr. Longfellow. II the
reporters do this to crafty an interest
in the duke because he is duke, it
is something that we can not post to
our credit: and England has kept the
account even by the reports about
General Grant.
An American who is well intro
duced socially in England is undoubt-
edly received with charming courte-
sy, as an Englishmsn with similar
introductions is received in this coun-
try. 1t is Q mistake to suppose that
an American is regarded in England
as queer" because be is an Ameri-
can, while, naturally, slight differen-
ces in points Of etiquette and social
habits are more observable in those
who are generally of the same race
and who speak the very same Ian
gusge.
Young ladies like Daisy Miller,
however clever and innocent, are in
evitably odd to those who are used
to less careless and familiar manners,
and young gentlemen like Lord LAM
beth are rather eomicsl in q society
which is used to early cleyerness and
If such q gentleman
ia more rapturously received by New
port than such lady by London, it
is not necessarily . reproach to Lon
don An American senator might be
very angry with an American minis
ter in England for not inviting him
to meet lords and ladies OF high rank
at dinner. But it is not OF all clear
that an American gentleman enter
tanning q nobleman Of high rank at
dinner would necessarily invite the
senator to meet him. Undoubtedly
an American mother would instantly
call upon an English lady arriving in
the country who bad received her son
in England as kindly - Lord Lam
beth was received in America by
Mrs. Westgate; aud certainly it was
with great difficulty that Lord Lam
betn's mother, the Duchess Of Bays
water, was persuaded to call upon
Mrs. Westgsts in London. But un-
doubtedly, also, she would have re-
fused positively to call upon an Eng
lish lady, however kind she may have
been to her son, whom the duchess
believed was trying to catch him for
her sister, which she believed was
Mrs. Westgate's purpose. The diff
culties.. that Americans observe in
English society ere mainly due to
caste, of which in this country we
know nothing. But we repeat we
doubt if any properly introduced
American has sny just reason to CON-
plain of his social reception in Eng
land.