The sun. [volume] (Morris, Stevens County, Minn.) 1882-1895, 1886-01-21
4 Pretty Faithful Picture Of
America us.
From Lord Ronald Covers Reminiuscer

From Lord Ronald Covers Remininscen-
mot being d parsonage, and not
caring to appear in q white tie and fine
linen every evening and having wished
to see the SOCIAL life in the American
city not as guest but as a traveller,
think / can more impartially judge
of what would be the impression Made
on cosmopolitan than had l trad
ed on being an Englishman with a
handle attached to my name,as prob
ably most Britishers with such an
impeachment would do. mixed with
all classes, in the street car or omni-
bus (which in it's American form is as
superior to our London bus as is a
Partisan victoria to q 'growler'), in
the Union Club-the Travellers OF New
York-and palatial steamer OF the
River Hudson, to which steamer and
to which river we haveno thing to COM
pare in the Old World. Wherever
| went / found all classes of the
Americans not only civil, but high
" civilized, as compared class for
class with the English; not only
amiable, but, as a rule, kind and
courteous, and with rare exceptions,
well-informed, well-bred, and having
more refinement of manner than any
other people l have ever come amongst.
What struck me specially in New York
was the invariable civility shown by
all classes of men to women, whether
the women rustled in silk or wore
linsey -wolsey or homespun; however
crowded the car or footway, room
was at once made for lady. Does
this not somewhat contrast with the
surly grumpy incivility that is shown
to the fair sex in our public carriages
and streets? This politeness is not,
as in neighboring country to ours,
mere lip and eye civility, but arises, l
believe, from q mutual and intuitive
good breeding with which, as I said
before, the Americans of every class
are endowed.
"For instance, if one entered room
in club or hotel, one was not met
by those assembled with a Who the
Dash is this person whom none OF us
know! and what the Dash does he
here' sort of look; nor, if one entered
into conversation with someone in q
railway car or steamer, was onegreet-
ed with that truly British stare, which
in this country of insular prejudice
and arrogant assumption, conveys as
plainly as words the question, What
the mischief do you mean by speaking
to me without waiting for an intro
duction!'
"My experience has been in America
that If you ask service from q
stranger it is accorded readily, without
condescension or fuss; that among
them is little of the snobbish wish to
appear to those who do not know
as greater people than we really are,
little of that disgusting patronage OF
manner that prevails in this country
among the richer classes, and none of
the no less disgusting cringlness
of manner which as greatly pre-
walls among our tradespeople, and
which makes me for one hesitate be-
fore asking my way in the streets of a
well-Gressed man, or entering shop
where one will Unknown as 'agood Gus
tomer') be received by amealy-mouth-
ed mortal all smiles and grimaces, who
will think that he will more readily Sc
cure purchaser by showing some ar
ticle ordered by My Lord This or my
Lord That. On the contrary, the
New York tradesman or shopkeeper
receives you with civility, but without
any of that cringiness of manner
which seems to me little less insulting
than actual insolence ;he will allow
you to look as long as you like at any
OF the articles his shop may contain,
and will be equally civil if you pur-
chase or if you do not; but he will not
rub his hands and contract his fea-
lures into a leer; and if you were to
show him your superiority or position
by affecting to look down on him as
being only a tradesman,' he would
probably show you that there is
something more in being a citizen of q
great republic than mere sound, and
that although you may fancy yourself
a superior being from not being re-
publican or shopman, he might be
able to prove to you that one man is
as good as another.
II mixed thus with all classes, and
spoke to all with whom came in con-
tact, and in no single instance did /
meet with anything but perfect civilisy
the civility of equals, which is, after
all, the truest. admire with all my
heart this great people, our brothers,
who. although we have so many years
presumed to treat them as poor rela-
tions, are in some forms of common
courtesy and general politeness far
superior to ourselves.
~ grant that the Americans we
meet on the Continent of Europe are
often offensive in manner and give a
very unfavorable impression OF their
country both to foreigners and to
Englishman, but believe me, these are
the exceptions.'