The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1886-11-05

SOCIETY IN EN0L AND.
The Only Terms Upon Which Anne
lcanD Can Enter II.


SOCIETY IN ENGLAND.
The only Terms Upon Which Amer
leans Can Enter II.
Mr.. Watterson. in recent letter to
to his paper, The Louisville Courier
Journal, says: There is much in and
about London for the American to see.
which he ought to see. and which will
more than repay him for going to see.
The education Of NO man is complete
which does not include some personal
knowledge Of England. This knowl-
edge, however, to be entirely satisfac-
tory, must end with the local scenery
and the historic remains There is lit
tie in English society and association
but that is repugnant to American sem
| sibilities.
Being myself member Of three Lon
don clubs. it does not, perhaps, lie in
my mouth to speak of certain exclu-
siveness and inhospitality, which no
native Londoner will deny, marking
the club life of London, and in striking
contrast with the club life OF New York,
| but it is fact, nevertheless. Nowhere
is the Englishmar seen to such character
stic disadvantage as in his club, where
the pig in him comes out strongest and
is ever present-atthe dinner table. at
the card-table, and in the smoking
room. AS to the great private houses,
there is but one key that opens their
doors to the foreigner, particularly to
the American, and that is the key
which fits into the dominecring spirit
the admirable system of self-enlarge-
ment, the complaccncy and the vanity
OF the British aristocracy. without q
current American beauty says The
Standard, 1.-THE fashionable world
would get on with difficulty" Alack
the day; this is as much as to say that
without mercenary mother having a
daughter to sell the occupation of the
lewd young bucks of the peerage, not
to speak of the prince of Wales, would
be very much circumscribed; for,
in plain English, that is just
the size of it. Social sue
cess for the American in England
means the acceptance with good
grace of state of case abhorrent to
his love of his country and his respect
for himself, and the American whom
The Standard describes is one who by
cajolery and servility has contrived to
penetrate the inner circle of the nobility,
| where he is received With stretch of
tolerance and allowed to remain on
ticket-of-leave. He must speak low
| and mind his eyes, or he will find him
self down the back stairs, being. in
deed, but little more distinguished
than the servants. As for the women,
heaven help them! They must be
young and pretty, and fetch their s'dot"
with them, or else they must have some
baser sacrifice to lag at the feet of the
ever-hungry. always brutal social
Moloch. if they look for recognition.
Nobody enters this theater without an
admission ticket duly stamped and paid
for. Upon its outer doorway is per-
| petually hung the familiar legend.
The free list is suspended" and for
the untitled American, at least, Stand
ing room only
] do not quarrel with this at all 1t
is good thing for the British as long
as they can keep it up. 1t is pleasant.
dare say, to receive tribute and to
have incense put beneath the nose.
Sometimes it is profitable also. A
millionaire is not to be blamed for keep
ing out of the company Of adventures
and paupers, nor lord for looking
| somewhat askance at the unknown and
unanointed herd. But, as David says
in the rivals" it is poor rule that
don't work both ways, and it is no
/ more than right that the commonality
should stick to itself and stand or fall
together. Each to his peer. say !. and
in an aristocratic system of rank, based
upon birth. the foreigner who has no
handle to his name has no place. The
American who goes to England should
carry this in his mind, and be content
with the outside of the show, which is
well worth seeing. That he should en-
deavor as far as may be to do in Rome
as the Romans do. preserving at all
times and in all places q civil tongue.
goes without saying. Thus shall he
have his fill. paying for it out of his
pocket, and not out of his conscience,
and get him back to his home, apatriot
undefled.