The Penn's Grove record., 1888-08-18
England and America.

We must not forget that our fathers
were exiles from their dearly loved
native land, driven by causes which no
longer exist. Freedom to worship
God" is found in England as fully as in
America, in Il day. In placing the
Atlantic between themselves and the
Old World civilizations they made an
enormous sacrifice. II is true that the
wonderful advance of our people in
all the arts and accomplishments which
make life agreeable has transformed
the wilderness into a home where men
and women can live comfortably,
elegantly, happily, if they have a con-
tented disposition; and without that
they can be happy nowhere. What
better provision can be made for
mortal man than such as our own
Boston a afford its wealthy childrenp
A palace on Commonwealth Avenue
or on Beacon Street, a cou~ntry-place
at Framingham or Lenox; a seaside
residence at Nahant, Beverly Farms,
Newport, or Bar Harbor; a pew at
Trinity or Kings Chapel; a tomb at
Mount Auburn or Forest Hills; with
the prospect of a memorial stained
window after his lamented demise
is not this a pretty programme to offer
a candidate for human existenceP
Give him all these advantages, and
he will still be longing to cross the
water, to get back to that old home of
his fathers, so delightful in itself, so
infinitely desirable on account of its
nearness to Paris, to Geneva, to Rome,
to all that is most interesting in
Europe. The less wealthy. less cult
waited, less fastidious cl. IS of Ameri-
cans are not SO much haunted by these
longIngs. But the convenience of liy-
ing in the Old World is so great, and
it is such a trial and such a risk to
keep crossing the ocean, that it seems
altogether likely that a considerable
current of re-migration will gradually
develop itself among u people.
Some find the climate o. the other
side of the Atlantic suits them better
than their own. As the New England
characteristics are gradually super
seeded by those of other races, other
forms of belief, and other associations,
the time may come when a New Eng
lander will feel more as if he were
among his W people in London than
in one of seaboard cities. The
vast majority of our people love their
country too well and are too proud of
it to be willing to expatriate them
selves. But going back to our old
home, to find ourselves among the
relatives from whom we have been
separated for a few generations, ia
not like transferring ourselves to a
land where another language is spoken,
and where there are no ties of blood
and no common religious or political
traditions. |, for one, being myself
as i~nveterately rooted an American OF
the Bostonian variety as ever saw HIM
self mirrored in the Frog Pond, hope
that the exchanges of emigrants and
re-migrants will be much more evenly
balanced by and by than at present.
| hope that more Englishmen like
James Smithson will help to build up
our scientific and literary institutions.
l hope hal more Americans like
George Peabody will call down the
blessings of the English people by
noble ~benefactions to the cause Of
charity. 1t was with deep feelings of
pride and gratitude that Hooked upon
the bust of Longfellow, holding its
place among the monuments Of Eng
lands greatest and best children. /
see with equal pleasure and pride that
one of our own large-hearted country
men has honored the memory of two
English poets, Milton and Cowper, by
the gift of two beautiful stained win
dows, and with still ampler munii-
cence is erecting a stately fountain in
the birthplace of Shakespeare. Such
acts as these make us feel more and
more the truth of the generous senti-
ment which closes the ode of Washing
ton Allst6n, America to England: 1--WE
are one!'-O liUer Wendell Holmes, in
atlantic.