The Washington critic., 1888-01-21
ABOUT lMITATORS.
Rose Elizabeth Cleveland's Ideas
on the Subject.
HER SENSIBLE SUGGESTIONS.
The Presidents Sister Gives Young
Women Good Advice.


that could happen TO anyone to be called
an "imitator." If the reputation for "imi-
iating" was once fixed upon girl she
was looked upon as not exactly first
class girl.
Further on in life | began TO hear great
deal about Originality" and found that
an "original person. was exactly the OPP
posite of an "imitator," and that If, by
some good luck, one could get the reputa-
lion of being original she would be looked
upon as considerably above the average
frst-class girl, and treated with degree of
which accompanies distinc.
tion. perceived that the role of the imi-
tator was not one calculated for popular
ity, while that of the original person was
that. of fame and glory. These things were
on the surface and were matters of obser-
vation.
When, q little later, had added to my
a degree of reflection on these
subjects | became aware of two or three
facts in connection, which were not on
the surface In addition TO the surface
fact that
TIE ROLE OF THE IMtTAToR
is not accompanied with an experience
or an appearance of distinction and is in
no way likely to make the imitator popu-
lar while distinction and popularity are
the rule in the case of the "original per-
son." l discovered, further, that both
roles were equally easy; that it was no
way more difficult to acquire the repu-
tation of being an original person than II
was to acquire the reputation of an imi-
tator. All that was necessary for the
former was to do things and say things as
some one else did and all that was neces-
sary for the latter was to be nothing and
say nothing rs any one else did.
Another fact which | discovered was
this: That person might have the repu-
tation of being an imitator without in the
least degree deserving it; and that a per-
son could acquire n reputation of being
original without, in the least degree, de-
serving it. BY the time l made this dis
covcry / had learned something of the
difference between character and reputa-
tion, and knew that in some things, the
one did not involve the other / was
somewhat mortified at realizing the fact
that among "us girls the reputation for
being original was quite the same thing
as being so; and that the reputation for
Initiating" was quite as bad as doing it.
1t was about this time that began to
learn the real value of both
ORIGINALITY AND IMITATION.
j found out that to really be an imitator
whether one had the name of it or not,
was often quite as good thing as to have
the name and fame of an original person
And in this little letter to the Daughters
of america 1 wish to say one or two things
which know to be true, about the vice
and the virtue eliminating. We will drop
originality for the present, and confine
ourselves to imitation. Perhaps another
time shall have something TO say about
originality.
1t is great mistake to suppose that it is
weakness TO initiate. 1t is sometimes o
very bad thing, and whether it is good or
bad depends entirely upon the quality of
the thing which is initiated. 1t is always
good thing TO initiate, or try to initiate,
goods things; and when one is afraid of
not being original because one initiates
good thing that one is much weaker in
not initiating than in initiating. Plenty
of people do not do half rs many nice and
graceful things as they might, just be-
cause they are afraid they will be accused
of initiating.
Some of the strongest characters have
seen have shown q degree of weakness in
this direction. The most original person
/ have ever known would have been very
much improved if he had been willing to
initiate soMe agreeable manners and hab-
its of some other persons, not very great
and not at all original. 1t is the sign of
great independence of character to be
willing and eager to initiate the good lit
tie things in other people.
1t is mostly in the line of good little
things that imitation is most worthy. The
great things, in life and in character, one
must learn and practice without reference
to others; it is in the lesser things, in
manners and habits, in speech and car
riage, where one can copy with the great
character itself; and the little things are
the decorations, the bric-a-brac of charac-
ter.
THE GREAT THING
is TO know what to initiate. There are
some things which it is good to initiate,
and there are some things which it is bad
to initiate, and there are some things
which it is not exactly good or exactly
bad to initiate, but only silly. For ex
ample, there is nowadays great deal of
imitation in America of English GUS
toms and manners, and there are some
very good little things in their customs
and manners to initiate; and then again,
there are some little things not so good,
In the speech of a well-bred English
woman, who is wholly without affecta-
tion, there is apt to be more accuracy of
articulation than in that of the American
woman. That is good thing to initiate
and q thing one can initiate without
meriting, in the least, the charge of being
very English.
CAREFUL HABITS OF SPEECH
and nice articulation of good English
words are not the monopoly of Great
Britain, and should be as much the
characteristic of Americans as of Britons.
If an American girl is not as careful and
accurate in her English as is her transat-
lantic cousin she should become so at
once, even at the risk Of losing a certain
Originality in speech, which is not in
the least desirable characteristic of some
American girls. The American girl can
very well afford to be called Every Eng
lishh on this account for the thing which
she initiates is thing very excellent and
worthy of imitation. But if this same
young American is so ambitious to be
called English that she is eager 10 copy
the faults, as well as the excellencies of
British speech, she may take pains in some
directions, which are not in the least
worth her while, as for example
las have known to happen), she may
carefully pronounce clerk as if spelled
clark, for no other reason than that it Is q
habit of mispronunciation among the
British and so characteristic of them that
If she calls her fathers clerk clark every
one whose opinion she prizes will be sure
10 think she has English friends or will
think--oh blissl-that perhaps she is
English also. Here are bad sorts of imita-
ton. The first is good because the thing
initiated is good, The second is neither
good nor bad, but is simply extremely
silly.
THERE is ONE GOOD RULE
for all things in this connection; il is as
good rule for our days and our ways as
for the days and the ways Of the world
when st. Paul wrote it. II is a very short
rule and il is put in very clear and very
good English. 1t Is this: prove all
things; hold fast that which Is goodn |