The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1886-05-13
FLOTSAM AND JETSAM.
A FEW ODD SCRAPS OF INTEREST
FROM NEW YORK.
English Americans aud How They APP
pear to Natives-A Talk with a Writer
of Japanese Literature-A Case of Mind
Manipulating Matter
Especial correspondencel

a large and constantly increasing class of
English Americans-men and women who
were born Americans and have lived abroad
until they became English and are now back
on their native soil, sneering at it. Insuffer-
able creatures they are, wherever found.
Everything American is contemplate in
their eyes, and they don't have politeness
enough to keep their contempt unspoken.
"In England" is the phrase with which all
their us ertions begin. an England nobody
would think of doing this or saying that"
"In England it would not be tolerated. or
"In England it is not the case" and so on.
l met one of them at the house of friend
recently. He was so dreadfully English that
he could hardly tolerate us Not only in
conversation did he spit upon his native
land, but in manner he was the Eng
lishman through and through. While ex-
planning something he had seen somewhere
he whirled a bunch of lead pencils from the
table to the floor. A well-bred American
would have CALAMITY gathered them up. Not
he. Being English, he would let them lie
there till a servant picked them up Then he
wasn't enough of an American to let ladies
talk. He interrupted them whistled them
down the wind and in every possible man.
ner gave them to understand that man was
superior being, and woman a mere nobody.
And yet he wasn't cloi, and wouldn't want
to be put down as a cad. His name repre-
sents learning, travel literary ability and
ever so many other things worth striving for
And he is a southerner born, too. Thi Tx of
gallant southron be ng anything but court
ly and chivalrous to ladiesl Originally this
English American was very agreeable per-
SON. He had some respect for the opinions
and feelings of others, his manners were
modest and his conversation pleasing Twen-
| ty years in England, with only flying visits
to America has Anglicized him without in
the least improving him.
| If English-Americans were content to re-
main abroad they might be as English as
they please and offend nobody; but when
they get old and poor they come back here
and wrangle the remnant of their lives away
because America isn't England. Henry
James writes books to prove that it is great
misfortune not to have been born in Eng
land. The New York Anglo-mamacs give
up their lives to putting forth the same idea.
The men are more uncomfortable than the
women. Somehow we expect man to have
patriotism by nature, and when he goes
abroad to a monarchy that America has had
to whip into good behavior and kotows to its
customs and manners and vices he becomes
contemplate. We can laugh at English
worshiping American women; but we must
despise the men.
New York is well favored with these Eng
lish- Americans, who are distinct from the
ordinary Anglo-maniac in having lived on
English soil half their lives, and are furious
if any one reminds them of their American
birth. They are always reminding one that
they went abroad when "very young" and
were brought up in the English way
have often remarked that New York Is
exhaustless Every day new matters Of in
terest present themselves. In company with
friend dropped into Japanese art store
the other day. The merchandise there dis
played represented one of the many collec
lions of art valuables to be seen here In
New York, the work Of some man or woman
fired with an insane love OF arr
which poverty or death scatters. We
looked over the curios, bent before
the majestic statue of Buddha, smiled at the
grotesque devils and shifted the incense. The
most interesting things in the large collection
to us, however, was the owner Of the col
lection, his wife and their nine children. HI
is Edward Greeye, writer Of books on Jap
anese Subjects an Englishman, with fluent
tongue as well as graceful pen. His wife
fair-faced Englishwoman, is In regular
partnership with him in literary work, az
well as in the ownership of the collection
ayes" he said, looking at her gentle fac,
with admiring eyes, "Nellie here helps me
write all the books, and / put my name t
them, because she will have it So"
Then they went on to tell something of tn,
| - nl;I
who depended upon the pen for bread ant
all the other requirements of civilized life
They had been in South America and japan
some years, and they had known what it wa
to depend wholly upon their literary work
without any permanent position or assured
market. "Think of the shoes for nine chill
dren," said the mother with a smile. swell
we never lost heart through it all, and the.
are welcome every one Of them" said tn
father Welcome, they surely were, TO
they lowered round both father and mother
like butterflies, caressing them and hanging
to them with affectionate freedom.
They told how in the days when they wer
poor they put the babies to bed and theI
wrote on their books till 2 and 3 o'clock II
the morning. Only writer can understand
how courageous must be the soul which
|
with the pen as weapon, and only an un
certain literary market to appeal to whel
the work is done.
This courage has been rewarded, for sue
cess came with such earnest and homes
wooing Mr. Greeye's last book, "A Captiv
of Love-" drew an expression Of thanks iron
the Emperor and Empress of Japan, and
being translated into German by Herr A
Hensel, of Konigsberg, Prussia. Japanes
literature is a comparatively fresh field, AM
Mr.. Greeye cultivates it with great skill
and the nine children are in clover
There is one figure in New York VIII
should be lesson to malcontents with who'll
and healthy bodies, and that is Marshall p
Wilder, the character sketch artist. Every
body knows him, and everybody likes him
At every concert, literary entertainment o.
private gathering where refined Amusement
is sought after, the little character sketches
is pretty sure TO be- and very sure to pleas
everybody by his original humorous recita
tions. I call him little, although he is
man, for alas, disease or accident in child
hood brought upon him curvature Of tn
spine, and he is no taller than boy Of 10
, Ordinarily those afflicted with this trouble
&ox. roI