The Arkansaw traveler. (Little Rock, Ark.) 1882-1???, 1885-03-14

ScaFgill declared that an Englishmar
Is never happy bat when he Is miserable
Scotchman Is never at home but when
he Is abroad an lFishman 10 at peace
only when he IS lighting.
i In q similar way We may say that an
American Is never at rest except when he
Is at work.
| To drop paradoxes, the busy man in OUT
country IS the happy man, and never 80
happy as when he is busiest.
remember reading somewhere that Ia
Persia. believe il Is, when one sets out
to buy a rug or piece Of tapestry on
which he has set his heart, he 10 expected
to spend a fortnight at least 10 the our
chase. AT the FIRST visit be simply saun-
tiers in, exchanges salutations with the
shopkeeper, casts q careless glance over
the shop and departs. The next time he
looks at a rug curiousiy, but with no show
Of interest in the article as a would. be
purchaser. The thiid time re examines
the article on which he is intent, and the
fourth time inquiries the price, which is
fixed by the shopkeeper at about ten
times its real value. AT the succeeding
visit the price is reduced a tribe, ana so
on until fair figure is reached, and the
kfhue II COnSumtn0tcu.
There are many countries on the globe
where such dallying would be regarded
as waste OF tine both by the seller and
the buyer, but it is in America where
the transaction would be most ridiculed,
and where anything approaching such
haggling would be denominated the
veriest tomioolery.
The American type Is not fixed, IL is Ia
the formative stage, but so far as IL has
got it may be denominated a type Of
frapkness, OF promptness, and OF indie.
pendence.
The genuine American is not a syco.
plant.
He is not a hypocrite
He is not afraid of" Americanisms," or
ashamed ofAmeriCan customs and Amer
lean manners
He does not ape social forms solely be-
cause they are foreign forms.
He is not afraid Of being singular be-
cause he is natural.
He rather glories In the fact that the
American way is distinctive, and not a
mere imitation OF older customs. and,
finally, he believes 10 free ballot and a
| fair count.
read an article not long since from
the pen Of an eminent philologist who
labored through seven pages of maya
zine to prove that an expression which
had been denounced as an Americanism
10 England was right and allowable, be-
cause it was an old English term in use
by standard authors in the last century
He proved il, at an expense of diligent
research that would have done honor to q
| atnAaAk mAfxx.,,.x hA
ing of the angles OF the pyramids. We
were proud of him, too, and said;
Here's man who, like Silas Wekg, has
all print open TO him. and who 10 equal
TO coilaring and throwing the ablest
dabbler in words on the continent OF Eu-
rope" But after all. there was sense OF
humiliation that SO capable man should
Pthink it a matter Of such vast moment to
convince European critics that we had
not used very appropriate term without
the example and sanction Of their blessed
old ancestors: that we never moved with
out their authority, or allowed the
growth and spread OF term original
with and belonging exclusively to our
selves.
This is not the independence of the
genuine American.
Something Of this same kind OF angling
for appreciation in foreign creeks Is dis.
played by an American novelist, except
that he seems intent upon propitiating
the excessively refined and sensitive
aileffa1H OF the east, as we'll a. cater
ing to the "Remnant that resides
abroad. He appears 10 be constantly
trying 10 prove that, however rude and
uncultured the people may be among
whom he was reared and educated, he al
least has risen on the steps Of his dead
self" 10 higher things, and must have
been almighty smart to do 1t.
Tennyson speaks OF those who think -
The rustic cackie OF their bourg
The murmur Of the world.
This novelist seems 10 regard the
bourg" wherein he has taken up his
domicile as the one place on earth which
is truly remarkable. He never tires Of
making his Characters assounded at the
hotels, the drawing.rooms, and the eui-
ture and refnemen, Of the inhabitants OF
that "bourg." A second-class restau-
rant in third-ciass American city is a
revelation 10 his hero, and though the
novelist himself affects wide knowledge
Of the world, we feel instinctively that It
| - Ms VWu ADtOUi8niuGUt anu Htb UWu
amszement and his own veueration for
victuals that is pictured to Us.
When Antisthenes saw Socrates tramp
ing around in q ragged coat he pointed
to rent in the garment, and exclaimed
to the people $50! through this hole
see the pride of Socrates"
Similarly through this wonderment at
luxury and these obeisances to swallow
tail coats we see the weakness Of the
writer and detect his bringing up.
The complaint Is not that he writes OF
simplicity and iDexperience, but that he
assumes TO write of them as q spectator,
and not 40 an honest participant. This
Is not frank.
The we'll bred man speaks Of good
dinners and rich clothes as he eats them
and wears them. SO does the clown and
woe TO the latter IL he try to conceal his