Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-25
The Entertaining BritOn.

CAN MEN.
From the Argonaut.
The popularity OF young Englishmen In New
York society remains unabateI.
The young Englishmen in New York OFFER va
riety OF types. Some OF them, especially those OF
a lower class at home, come like conquering heroes.
They grumble at every thing American, they CON-
plain with bitterness OF the "trainS" and the ci-
mate, the lack OF good manners among the women,
the ridiculous dressing OF men, the ShoddyiSm the
absence OF Old families and In their sleeves laugh
conplacently at the people who are running about
like mad dogs and straiDing every nerve TO have
them at dinner and dance. Not a few Of these
men are Adventures, who gull the simple
New Yorker with confident ease. '.My cousin, Sir
Robert -; my elder brother, who married the
daughter OF Lord -" man not in the SWIM
can have no idea what few such sentences COM
btned with gentleInanly appearance, a chilly
manner, good supply OF clothes and cheek, can
10 here in New York among people who are
neither dense nor inexperienced. The Newark
bogus lord was an exaggerated type OF this class,
this sort OF thing they Will be fooled and then
Jerred at by the great family OF bogus lords who
make America their happy hunting grounds. 1t
is rather surprising that so many bitter expert
ences have not taught our cOuntrymen to be a
little more Judicious. But people who learn slowly
generally learn thoroughly.
The better class OF Englishmen who nfest New
York are generally very nice fellows who stand
their spelling Wei. Excepting such men as the
something TO forget as soon as possible they are
generally talkative, unaffected jolly fellows with
long legs, little brains, and manners either quietly
dignifed or boyiShly ingenious. They are better
looking than our men and better-tempered They
are much more ignorant OF our country than we OF
theirs. They all think TO live on ranch must be
before the door OF the ranchers cabin.
while he sits langudy in the doorway
picAlng on the particularly plump young ones with
his rite. Their ignorance in business matters is
something unbelievable They are prey for the
commonest swindler; but once they get swindled-
aST hp -.t yaa -yba
absurdly suspicious OF every one, and begin TO
regard the honest man as Diogenes and Hamlet
did. They are the most phiegmatic men on earth
in their loves, the most obstinate in their hates
Their ideal Is TO be country gentlemen on large
estates in England and they hate the life OF large
cities. Could there be q man more opposed at
every point, to the average American?
And this Is one OF the secrets OF their popularity
over here We like change and they are change
they are as superior TO our men as our women are
socially superior TO their women And II is socially
that they are SO much In demand. American men,
as class, do not shine in society. The reason for
which is very simple-they have no time 10 learn
TO be entertaining II is next 10 Impossible for a
man who has been hard at work In office all day
airy persthage some raw girl fresh from college or
some gay married woman Iul OF airs and graces and
nonsense. He is tired out, he is preoccupied, and
ne will remain SO until he does not have
to spend his entire day In the Office. How can he
entertain when he never reads anything but what
can better him from business point OF view,
when all his brains and energies are concentrated
on the problem he has undertaken TO solve? He
may be, as far as conversation goes, a mute In.
glorious Dlderot, an undeyeloped Sydney Smith;
all that possible brilllancy has focused on his
business at which he probably is genius. He Is
Ike very successful literary people, who are
VIGOROUSLY the dullest people In the world TO con-
verse with. And whyf Because all their bright
est and most original thoughts are greedy gar
nered up TO the minutest dropped seed and are put
into their next book, whence they dazzle the world
Not 50 the young, ltinerant Englishman He Is
one or the leisure class and has no business He
mas gone through college and now his work In life
Is 10 deck crack regiment and be charming. He
rarely has as much native brightness as the
American, but with unlimited spare time one can
DO good deal. He acquires all the habits OF So
clety, IL soon becomes his nature TO laugh and
talk, and look unutterable things in the easiest
way Imaginable. He Is good company and a good
listener, makes conversation with the skill OF
practlced hand-one who honors the fell horror OF
dead silence, and is altogether q good all-round
man from the society point OF view.
young girl, who has fdled all day. and has
nothing 10 do with herself but be CHARMING. sweet
and clever, goes TO dinner. She Is full OF vitality
Drimmlng over with conversation and fun; she
longs Tor some one TO laugh and joke with. She
sits at dinner between an American and an Eng
MsnInan, ooth young, agreeable and good looking
Inc American Is, say, lawyer, and has his first
lmportant case coming up tomorrow. He mas
consented TO come this evening only at the earnest
request OF his hostess, who is his dear friend He
Is Is worried, pre-oecupied and tired. The young
lazy oaooles 1oyousiy TO him q rippllng stream
OF charming common-places. He tries to be
civh and make talkee-talkee, but II is
anu lOTCcu, ana MS eyes,
despite his Efforts, stare vacantly at her smiling
lace. Win the keen, Instructive perceptions OF
ner sex she sees he is bored, though bravely bat
tllng against 1t. She is piqued as who would not
%, ana turns TO her neighDor. He Is talkattve,
tnoush reserved, listens with evident amusement
10 ner sallles, thaws under her glances, becomes
entertaining, and, better STILL Is evidently enjoy
Ing 10 the full her wit and brilliancy She thinks
MIN the most delightful OF men, and when she
goes nome asks her mamma to have him TO dinner.
But the scales are evenly balanced. The En-
gushInan talks well and Is entertaining, because
the English girl talks badly and Is heavy as an
amateurs bread. A void existed and all-providing
S Sa created the necessary medium to MI 1t.
some one In society must talk, and II one party
wont why the other has TO. Years OF laborfng In
sne Vineyard have given the Englishman GLIB
proficiency, almost mechanical, and certainly
marvellous He can be as enthusiastic as his ma
lure VIII permit before pair Of icy-blue eyes, OF
unsniiing, unresponstve, healthy red lips, which
would chill an American TO the marrow. We, on
OUT siae, can proudly produce our dear, bewritten
,gnls-iatuus OF an American girl. She cannot only
De enthusiastic, but can strike enthusiasm from q
eiod Oh mingled despondency and absent-minded-
ness, as Moses struck water from Q rock. One can
Imagine her discoursing vivaciously 10 the SPHINX
quite unawed by It's ponderous unresponsiveness,
self-possessed and witty,
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