Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1889-01-24
0'RellOn the Americans
The Witty Frenchman Writes OF
Uncle Sans Children
Their Treatment Of WOmen-They
Rush for Riches Merely to
Squander Them-FOr-
eign Bosses.

That which struck me most in America,
from first to last, is the total absence OF
stupid looking faces, writes Msx U he'll
in the January Forum. All are not hand
some, but all are Intelligent an6 beam
ing With activity. In my oRinion 1t Is IN
this that American beauty mainly con-
sists. In the larger cities of the east, the
first thing that attracted my ATTENTION
was the thinness of the men ana the
plumpness of the women. This seemed
to hint that the former lives IN tur-
mace of activity and the latter IN cotton
wool. This impression soon deepened
into a conviction. The more l saw OF
these larger cities and the br1lllancy, wit,
and refinement of society in them, the
palmer it became to me, that IL america
had thus early rivaled the older nations
of Europe in all these elegancles OF
fashionable life, it was because of Its
treatment of women. It seemed to me
that her lot was as near to being per-
lection as an earthly lot could be. re-
spect amounting to reverence is shown
for her, and it appears to be the chief
aim of her protectors to surround her
with luxury and make her path through
life sunny one. So far as adding to her
mental and physical grace goes, this plan
of making every woman an uncroWneo
queen answers completely. Seeing ner
high position she hes set herself at work
to fill it becomingly; and it Is the cultlVa-
ton of Americas daughters, 1t Is their
charming independence and conscious
ness of their power that makes them so
attractive and renders American society
so delightful to the stranger. In their
treatment of women the Americans might
give more than one lesson to the men OF
the old world, even to the Frenchmen who
in the matter of politeness lives good
deal, I am afraid, on the reputation OF
his ancestors. The respect for women In
America seems to me &c be perfectly dis
interested, purely platonlc. In france
this respect almost always borders on
gallantry. A Frenchman Will always
stand back to let woman pass, but ne
will generally profit by the occasion TO
take good look at her.
If an outsider be com petent to form an
opinion l venture to say that the Amerl
can woman does not render to man
1.-THE of the devotion she receives from
him. The French wife repays a nus
bands devotion by protecting his inter
est; an American one too often repays IL
by breaking into his capital. But Jona-
than com plains not. To him 1t is only
seemIy that 'beauty should go beautl-
fully" If one fortune goes ne sets TO
work to make another, ard the sweat or
his brow is soon crystalizlng once more
upon the neck and arms of his beloVeo
womankind in the form of diamonds.
The dress of American women must be
considerable item in the expenditure OF
the country. They dress well on all GO
casions, and proteut tres blen la tolletGe;
but they have yet to learn the hlghesV
effect in dress-a commingilng OF SIM
plicity and elegance. To see the street
toijettes one would think that only the
looms of Lyons and Genoa were capaoie
of furnishing the material OF woman
gown, and in evening dress there Is an
apparently deeprooted tendency TO over
elaboration. Afternoon teas being ire
uuentIy given to introduce young girl
into society, one could understand HI
tie extra toilette being thought necessary
in her case (though in France WON an
playing hostess carefully avoids ecll pslng
her guests); but tits not only the "0uo,
as she ia called, who is in full war paint
it is the buds mamma OF aunt, or both,
in looking at whose bare necks L have
often been inclined to exclaim: "Lacles,
throw a veil over the past" mere Is
something striking homogeneous IN thls
iostling of the white satin and tulle OF
the hostess with the street dress or the
callers.
Another thing that is general in Ameri-
ca is the absence of that British crust OF
reserve, which it sometimes takes
stranger years to break through before
be can ind the man or woman unoer-
meath. An American may be loVaoie or
the contrary, but whichever 1T is, on are
not long in finding ou'. After you nave
met him two or three times you know
whether YOU have one more friend IN
the world or have simply made the ac-
quaintance of one more person between
whom and yourself there never can be
much sympathy.
The character of the American is Eng
:ish from the point of view Of It's CON
trasts and contradictions. Is there, for
instance, anything more sublime than
the way in which the American can com
bine the sacred and the profane! Why,hels
a greater adept at it than John Bull. On
board the steamer we hca party OF
Americans who passed seven days OF the
voyage playing poker. The smoking
room rang from morning till night with
the oaths that they uttered every time
thew threw a card On the table. They
we're so fluent with them that they hardly
used the same twice in an hour. Their
stock seemed inexhaustable. Sunday
after breakfast young lady sat down to
the piano and begun playing hymns.
What happened then? Our poker party
gathered round the young lady and for
two hours sang psalms and holy tunes to
the ediication of the other occupants OF
the steamers saloon. l was dumfounded |
In France we have uen who swear ana
also men who sing hymns; but believe
that the Apg Saxon race alone can fur
nish men who do both with equal facility |
and gusto.
America is the home of all forms of |
eccentricity and daring. Has not the |
vastness of the continent the Americans
inhabit something TO do with this?
think so. There is that boundlessD esS
about the notions of an American which
must be born of the vastness, and limit
less possibilities of such great terri
tory. To the American his own daring
and eccentricity are the most natural
things in the world, and this Is what
makes great part of his charm. he
talks of, or does, things that fairly take
your breath away just as cooley as If
they were matters OF every day occur
ence. Parisians remember to this day
the American millionaire-I was going
to say billionsire-who, on the occasion
of his daughters wedding, wrote to the
town council of Paris to ask for the loan
of the arc de Triomplle, which be was
anxious TO decorate in bonor of the wed
ding and have the special use of during