Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1888-06-23
The Entertaining BritOn.
THE COMPARATIVE MERITS OF ENGLISH AND AMERI-
CAN MEN.

THE COMPARATIVE MERITS OF ENGLISH AND AMERI-
From the Argonaut-
The popularity OF young Englishmen in New
York society remains unabateJ.
The young En2lishmen In New York offer va
riety OF types. Some OF them, especially those OF
lower class at home come like conQuerng heroes.
They grumble at everythl American, they COM
plain with bitterness or the trains" and the cll-
mate, the lack OF good manners among the women.
the ridiculous dressing OF men, the shodd ism, the
absence OF Old families, ana In their sleeves laugh
complacently at the people who are running about
like mad dogs and stralning every nerve 10 have
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 lew such sentences COM
bined with a gentlemanly appearance, a chilly
manner, a good supply OF clothes and cheek. can
In New York among people who are
neither dense nor tnexper, enced. The Newark
bogus lord was an exaggerated type OF this class.
this sort or thing they will be fooled and then
jerred at by the great family OF bogus lorIs 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 infeSt New
York are generally very nice fellows, who stand
their spelling well. Excepting such men as the
Duke or Marlborough, whose reception here was
something 10 forget as soon as possible, they are
generally talkative. unaffected jolly fellows with
long legs, little brains, and manners either quietly
dignlfed 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 a ranch must BE-
bliss, and that bears, buffdlOs, mountain
lions, antelopes, and prairie hens circle
before the door OF the ranchers cabin,
while he sits languidy In the doorway
picAing on the particularly plump young ones with
his ritie. Their ignorance In business matters IS
something unbelievable. They are prey for the
commoneSt swinder; but once they get swinded-
IL year-Ilpy
absurdly suspicious OF every one, and begin TO
regard the honest man as Diogenes and Hamlet
did. They are the most phegmatic men on earth
ia their loves, the most obstinate In their hates
Their ideal is to be country gentlemen on large
estates in England, and they hate The LIE OF large
cities. Could there be a 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 u change
The other secret OF their popularity Is that socially
they are as superior TO our men as our women are
socially superior TO their women And IL is socially
that they are so much In d mand. American men,
as class, do not shine in society," The reason for
which is very smple-they have no time 10 learn
to be entertaining. 1t is next TO impossible for
man who has been hard at work In office all day
10 sit down In the evening and entertain, with
airy peroindge, 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
he Will remain so until he does not have
TO spend his entire day In the Office. How can he
I'entertain when he never readS anything but hat
can better him from business pOiut OF vew
when all his brains and energies are concentrated
on the proDiem he has undertaken TO solve? He
may be, as far as conversation goes, q mute In
glorious DiderOt, an undevrloped Sydney Smith:
all that possible brlllancy been focused on his
business, at which he probably Is genius. He is
VIGOROUSLY the dueSt people In the world TO con-
verse with. And why? Because all their bright
est and most original thoughts are greedily gar
nered up 10 the minutest dropped Seed and are put
into their next book whence they dazzle the world
Not so the young, itinerant Englishman He Is
one OF tie leisure class and has no business. He
has gone through college and now his work In life
Is 10 deck crack regiment and be charming. He
rarely has much nat We brightness as the
do a good deal. He acquires all the habits OF So
ciety, IT soon becomes his nature TO laugh and
talk, and look unutterable things In the easiest
way Imaginable. He is good company and good
listener, makes conversation with the skill or a
Practiced hand-one who honors the fell horror OF
dead silence. and Is altogether good all-round
man from the society point OF view.
A young girl, who has idled all day, and has
nothing 10 do with herself but be charming sweet
and clever goes TO dinner. She is full or vitality
trimming over with conversation and run; she
longs Tor some one TO laugh and joke with. She
nshman, both young, agreeable and good looking.
The American is, say, a lawyer, and mas his first
Important case coming up Tomorrow. He has
consented 10 come this evening only at the earnest
request OF his hostess, who Is his dear friend lie
| Is worried, pre-Occupied and tired. The young
Lady ba0bles Joyousiy 10 him ripping stream
| civil and make talkee-talkee but 1t is
| constrained and forced, and his eyes,
\
| lace. With the keen, instructive perceptions OF
| ner sex She sees he Is bored though bravely bal
Ting against 1t. She is piqued, as who would not
Or, ana turns 10 her neighDor He Is talkativc,
| though Reserved, listens with evident amusement
| TO her sallies, thaws under her glances becomes
entertaining. and, better STILL is evidently enjoy
Ing 10 the full her wit and brliancy. She thinks
him the most delightful OF men, and when she
goes nome asks her mamma TO have him 70 dinner.
| But the scales are evenly balanced. The En-
gllsnman talks well and Is entertaining, because
| the English girl talks badly and Is heavy as an
amateurs bread. A void existed, and al-prOvtding
| nature created the necessary medium TO NIL 1t.
some one In society must talk, and II one party
won't, why the other has TO- Years OF laborfng in
| the vineyard have given the Englishman gilt
proficiency, almost mechanical, and certainly
| marvellous. He can be as enthusiastic as his ma.
ture Will permit before pair OF icy-blue eyes, Of
| unsn1llng, unresponsive, healthy red lips, which
| would chill an American TO the marrow. We, Oh
our side, can proudly produce our dear, bewritteI
ignis-fatuus OF an American girl. Sne cannot only
| De enthusiastic but can strike enthusiasm from q
| cl0d OF mingled dependency and absentminded
| ness, as Moses struck water from rock. Que car
| Imagine her discoursing vivaciousy 10 the SPHINX
quite unawed by Its pJnder0us unrespOnsivenesS
| Self-pOSSeSSed and witty.