, 1884-02-20
THE ENGLISH IDEA.
How Americans Are Grossly Carl
catured on the Stage OF LON
don Theatres

Robert Laird Collier In Chicago Trfbune-l
Last week I went to the Haymarket to see
Mr.. Pinerols new comedy, with the misleading
and unfortunate title of Lords and Com
mons" and here again ] this
same unconventional, nl-bred, vulgar, nasal
toned, loud-talking, diamond ~-bestudded,
albeit good-hearted American girl. Tho
play Is as nearly perfect as anything i
have seen on the boards for many a day.
1t Is clean and sweet, and the dialogue
holds attention and interest from first to
last Moreover, 1t is perfectly done,
as all the plays are at the Hay
market under tho management OF Mr..
and Mrs.. Bancroft. Us 1t not delicious for
Mr.. Bancroft to associate his clever wifeis
name so conspicuously with his own0 Mrs
Stirling as Countess OF Csryl was simply per-
fect-bless the dear old simple aristocrati ]
wanted to hug her every minute she was on
the stage; mind, she impersonated a lady Of
at least 60. Indeed, the acting was so con-
summate 1t left no place for the legitimate
function OF criticism / always like Mr.
Forbes robertson, for he is always equal to
his work, and then he Is 50 handsome and so
gentlemanly, both off and on the boards
Mr.. Bancroft as Tom Jervoise and Mrs,
Bancroft as Miss M~apleback were they
always are-most intelligent. conscientious
and fascinating artists But Mrs. Bancroft
unprecedented this wholly disagreeable, loud,
hashy, v~ulgar-taking American creature,
who again was meant as u type, and I fancy
a representative type. of the American girlo Of
the period.
Whenever an American is put into an
English story or into an English play he or
abe is OF this ill-bred class If a man, he is
angular, lank and unkempt; his hair or beard
are very loug and his clothes very outre and
uniting; perhaps he is made to attend to his
teeth and his finger-nails in public; it may be
in the d-rawing-room. II a woman, she Is
sallow, loud-talking, slangy, covered with
fnery, and has struck ile," or her "gover-
nor has, for she has Aheaps o money!
/ am always more than annoyed when in
books or in plays I sec such caricatures or
my fellow-countrymen. Still, 1t is no use to
deny the fact that this is not only the English
idea of the American, but 1t is
Utmost the European estimate And
why is thisf When I am in America 1 meet
few OF this sort OF folk. All my American
friends are ladies' and gentlemen in every
conventional way as well as in every real
sense of these words / lave nowhere seen
and mingled with more social refinement on
the face of this earth-and l know somewhat
of life in England and most Of the continental
countries-than have ever seen and mingled
with in Chicago and Boston. Indeed, there
is a type of social life in America which /
hold as inestimably higher han that of any
other land 1t is as quiet, as self-respocting.
as well-bred MS any, and, added to these, it is
more genuine, more human, moro loyal il
friendship, less at the bidding OF Mrs.
Grundy, than any social life I know.
We must admit, however, that there Is
always some basis In reality-in actual life
for the scope and fancy Of the chartvari. and,
although l am more than annoyed at these
portraitures Of my tellow-countrymen, l
know where the carscaturfst catches the
idea" 1t cannot DO denied that American
newspapers deal largely, and sometimes un-
w~arrantably with personal affairs and social
life as tho press of no other country does.
This leads to exnggeration and the making
up of occasions, occurrences and Inter
views" out Of whole cloth. After
one has been In the habit Of reading
the London dailies, or even the leading
provincial papers Of England, ono is instantly
struck at the enormous enterprise and newsi-
ness Of American Journals, but perhaps even
more so with the unserious and in instances
trivial way in which all affairs Of state,
society and individuals are discussed and can
vassed by the less important metropolitan
papers and by almost all country newspapers
Thus the less responsible journals of America
and those OF least Influence at home-so
portray and really misrepresent American
social life that when they find their way
abroad these caricatures are accepted as
trustworthy.