The Ketchum keystone. [volume] (Ketchum, Idaho) 1885-1899, 1889-05-11
English W. American Customs.

En6IlS0 Va. American CustomS.
MFR. Henry Savage Landor, the
young Englishman who is at pres
ent in Washington painting por-
traits of President Harrison, Miss
Lincoln, and many other celebrities,
is something more than painter.
He is broad-minded, frank, sensi-
BILE, good-natured gentleman, with
whom it is a pleasure and profit
to converse on almost any subject.
His extensive wanderings to nearly
every quarter of the globe, his keen
perception of human character, and
with all his just estimates of ma
tional types make him at once a
charming companion and useful
mirror in which the American may
see himself reflected witout preju-
dice. Some of Mr.. Landor's expe-
riences in this country have been
highly amusing. Coming here with
the prestige of his grandfather's
great name and q considerable fame
Of his own achievement, he has, of
course, had to run the gauntlet Of
that entertainment which does not
entertain.
at is 80 different here" he says,
with his exceedingly marked ac-
cent. "The people are so kind and
try so hard to entertain. At home
guest is taken in as one Of the
family and no conventionality is
observed. In this respect We are
more democratic than you are. II
the guest is not out of bed when
the family is ready for breakfast
the family eats without him and
lets him come when he pleases. [
believe Americans sometimes think
we are rude because we seem to
them not to care whether the guest
remains or not. But that is not it.
Our idea is not to let him think he
is guest, but a member of the
household, to whom everything is
as free as to the family. We GO.
about our affairs just as we would
if no guest was there and try to
make him see that he IS not max
ing us the least bit of trouble. You
don't always do that in America. 1
was the guest of very notable
family in an American city not long
ago. There were five young ladies
in the house and they entertained
me almost to death. They called
me at 5 o'clock to see a sunrise
when didn't want to see a sunrise
and did want to sleep. They took
me for drives when I wanted to
walk. They dragged me to break
fast when l was not hungry and
urged me to eat some Of this and
some of that until l had to stuff
myself to keep from being rude in
their eyes; and if | did not eat all
the mountains of food they placed
on my plato they seemed to think
it was some reflection on their
breakfast. They took me to see
things that / had seen until was
tired of them, and kept me on the
go all day long; and then at even
ing filled my room with flowers
that nearly stifled me with their
rich, strong perfume. l cannot
speak too warmly of my regard for
the generous kindliness of their
motive, but at the end of a few days
I wrote a letter to myself calling
myself away and made that miser-
able subterfnge the means Of cut.
ting off my visit, which had heen
intended to be of much longer du-
ration. Those people may or may
not represent type OF American
entertainers. You know more about
that than I do. But, while / ad-
mire the beauty and the vivacity
of those young ladies, and feel
deeply sensible of the generosity of
their natures, am much happier
away from their entertainment"
Mr.. Landor undoubtedly has hit
upon one phase of American char
acter which obtains in q very large
circle.
If Mrs. Landor has aught Of af-
fectation he has not revealed 1t to
the writer, and yet he is freqently
amused BY hearing himself spoken
&C as q "dude." The reason OF
S.nis, probably, is that he iss the;
original from whom the American
"dnde" takes pattern for his weak
and disgusting imitation Of an En-
Qlish gentleman. Presumably It
our dudes should change their tad
and go to initiating the Mexican
ereassf It would not 20 long, until
tho rr,e1a ass66r himself wopid BE- cEedy.
ifSd With The attributes ct hl6
Etators.-W ashipgtCi Post. y