The Wellington enterprise. [volume] (Wellington, Ohio) 1867-188?, 1882-11-29
The Social Importance Of the
Young American.

Henry James, Jr., has written nothing
since "Daisy Miller so interesting from
'The Point of View" of Americans as his
delightful sketch with the latter title in
the December Century. 1t is a successful
attempt to depict American life from the
point of view of several Americans who
have lived in Europe and an Englishman
and French Academician who are travel
ing in America Miss Sturdy, writing
from Newport to Mrs. Draper at Florence,
says:
Ny little nephews; when first came
home, had not gone back to school, and it
distressed me to see that, though they are
charming children, they had the vocal in
fiexions of little newsboys. My neice is
sixteen years old; she has the sweetest
nature possible; she is extremely well-bred
and is dressed to perfection. She chatters
from morning till night; but it isn't pleas
ant soundI These little persons are in
girls, who know how to speak, but don't
know how to talk. My neice knows how
to talk, but doesn't know how to speak. A
propos of the young people, that is our
other danger; the young people are eating
US up,-there is nothing in America but
the young people The country is made
for the rising generation; life is arranged
for them; they are the destruction of socie-
ty. People talk of them, consider them,
defer to them, bow down to them. They
are always present, and whenever they are
present there is an end to everything else.
They are often very pretty; and physically,
they are wonderfully looked after; they
are secured and brushed, they wear n.y.
gienic clothes, they go every week to the
dentists. But the little boys kick your
shins, and the little girls offer to slap
your facet There is an immense literature
entirely addressed to them in which the
kicking of shins and the slapping of faces
is much recommended. AS woman of fifty
protest. insist on being judged by my
peers. It's too late, however, for several
millions of little feet are actively engaged
in stamping out conversation, and don't
see how they can long fail to keep it under.
The future is theirs; maturity will evident
ly be at an increasing discount. Long
fellow wrote charming little poem called
'The Children,s Hour" but he ought to
have called it the "The Children's Cent
ury." And by children, of course, don't
mean simple infants; mean everything
of less than twenty The social importance
of the young American increases steadily
up to that age, and then it suddenly stops.
The young girls, of course, are more i'm
portant than the lads; but the lads are very
important too. am struck with the way
they are known and talked about; they are
little celebrities; they have regulations
and pretensions; they are taken very SER
ionsly. As for the young girls, as I said
just now, there are to many. You will say
perhaps, that 1 am jealous of them, with
my fifty yeais and red face. don't think
so, because don't suffer; my red face
doesn't frighten people away, and 1 always
find plenty OF takers. The young girls,
themselves, 1 believe like me very much
and as for me, delight in the young girls
They are often very pretty; not so pretty
as people say in the magazines, but pretty
enough.