New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-12-09
THE AMERICAN GIRL.
SOME OF THE SECRETS OF HER SUCCESS
III.


1,i oro ching which first gave the American
girl her firm foothold in English society WAS
perhaps the one thing about her whlch Is mus
distinctively American-her sense oil equahy' ono
made perhaps, some mistakes on hrst eioerihe
Jondon drawipg-rooms and-which is much more
,rrinU business TO the novice-English country
houses But the most fatal mistake OF all wouu
have been TO miss the note. the prevailing ho'e'
Of n society novel to her and that she never made
She WAS. and she felt herself. the social equal OF
those whom she met and : her pear
inc was such that others perceived 1t
Instantly. There was neither self-asser-
ton nor-if possible, worse fault-self-
depreciation. / believe notion prevails IN parts
of America-I have seen it in prnt-that persons
of hsh rank in England expect show oil homage
from those Ct lesser rank or Of no rank at all
II seems to be supposed-even in places no more
remote from the Atlantic coast than kentucky
that il is here the custom to approach duke on
your Bonded knees. and that the Heir Apparent
is not to be addressed otherwise than groVelhhg
on the earth. To dispel these illusions is not
in the power of any one writer Know put
will nevertheless venture to say that they are
illusions.
ROYALTY NAV be left out Of the question: De-
cause ROYALTY is caste apart, and intercourse
with ROYALTY has l admit, an etiquette OF us
own though not an etiquette which neeu puruoh
the soul of the best Republican. Let us keep
to non-royal society, and OF that IL may DC
said cmphatically that the note is note OF
eouality. Certain forms of speech are used to
people of rank TO people OF no rank Loro
Salisbury is as much Lord Salisbury as Mr. smith
is Mr. Smith. Beyond that l know OF no dis
tinction. nor why any man should be more
deferential TO duke than to a commoner So
cietv exists and holds together by virtue of
wealth of intellect. of distinction in public bfe
of superior virtue. as we'll of rank. But the
meeting of all these various excellences becomes
possible only when all agree tactly to meet for
social purposes on even terms. we perfectly
understand that in America TO suppose different
state of things here merely because there are
degrees Of rank is absurd. The best proof OF the
absurditv is the fact that rank alone gives no
social distinction and that some of those whose
position in society is highest are OF the lowest
rank
Whether the American girl perceived al these
things at once. or not, matters little. She is
quick and keen GIFTED to degree that amazes
her leisurely English cousin, but her demeanor
was determined by other considerations. she
knew herself as good as the best. She was not
born TO think the Squire and his relations better
than herself 1t hardly occurred to her that
other people might be taking her measure while
she was taking theirs still less that there could
be human beings who would expect Difference
from her She had been used to Difference from
others ali her life-from men. that is. From them
she expected it STILL but the notion that there
were men TO whom it could be due never crossed
her mind And so she glided serenely into
this brilliant company, and took her own place
as if il had always belonged TO her and kept IL
with ease--the ease with which genius docs
the things natural TO it; without effort and with
out timiditv. Genius is not too large word
the social qualities of these Incompatible country
women of ours cannot be summed up in any term
less ample and comprehensive
One of the direct results of the presence of so
many American wives in English society is TO
make it livelier. This may seem a bold thing
for an American TO say, but am, in fact, only
quoting what | have heard the English them
selves say, and say often. AS the word is am
biguous will use it, with one exception, in the
GOOD sense ONLY The exception need only be
indicated In the highest section OF society there
is a fast set. and there have been Americans who
on their annexation, or even before IL, have pre-
ferred TO ioin this fast set. The capacities
natural and acquired Of the American woman are
such that if she chooses TO be fast she can hardly
help being faster than her fast English ricnds.
II she prefers doubtful forms Of amusement, she
will be more amusing than anybody else If
most practical and ingenious Of all If bear
fighting be the rage in the highest quarters, she
will "bear-Eght" for the custom has brought
forth new verb-with the best. When the
is fol poker it is natural she should excel at her
National game, but she was Just as daring at
baccarat--commonlv called bac'-which does
not trace JUS origin to the wild West. l need not
multiply ms ances. nor dwell on my one eXcep-
ton. Nor will 1 dwell Oh the rule / aDprehend
that the most disappointed and desperate British
Mother. with her culver fullest Of arrows that
will not go off, would not deny to the American
this quality OF lveliness. She complains of it,
and her complain; is a confession
Some of the indirect results of the American con-
quest in England are not less curious than the
direct II has 10 some extent modified the rela-
lions between young Englishmen and young Eng
lishwomen. There came moment when il dawned
on the English girl that she losing her hold on
the men, 1t need not be supposed that this ever
took the form Of a definite conviction in her own
mind; still less that she took definite resolution
in consequence Social changes proceed more subtly
than that; by gIadatiOns often imperceptble;
almost always delicate. But the manageable
young man of the period showed less and less in
clnation for marriage; less and less inclination for
the society Of the manageable young woman.
He avoided opportunities of meeting her. lie
made it favor 10 go TO ball, and still greater
favor 10 dance when he got there Mr.. Du Maurier
had an illustration year or two since One
young fellow complains Indignantly TO another
that his hostess had tried to get him 10 dance with
a girl before supper" before she had fed us'-to
adopt his own elegance of speech. lie would not
20 TO what he called tea fights" He expected
entertainments 10 be arranged wholly or chiefly for
the qualification OF what he believed to be manly
tastes. If one of his associates-he would call him
a pal'- married, he was wont TO remark that
|" poor Dick had been TO earth at last, and
that he was very near getting away, but she was
too many for him at the post He gave up the
atfectation OF seeking young ladies society. The
young ladies thereupon began 10 seek his. As he
10 thnr- nnr,for