The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-04-05
CHAPTER XXI.

the absence Of stupid faces. All are not
handsome. but all are intelligent looking and
full of life. The next thing that strikes him
is the well grown look Of the people Few or
no deformities. He does not see one halt or
hunchbacked person out of the ten thousand
he may meet With the exception Of the old
people, few have defective sight. Apart
from the complexion, which is pale, every
thing seems to indicate an active, strong,
healthy people. The constant crossing Of
races must daily tend to the improving of
the Americans, physically and intellectually.
You see SO many thin men and so many
stout women TINT you almost Immediately
conclude that the former live in a furnace Of
activity, and the latter in cotton wool This
impression grows upon you, and soon takes
the form of conviction.
Tho Americans do not walk much. It is
not that they are indolent Far from it It
is because their legs will not carry them fast
enough.
The faces of the men you meet look abb
sorbed in thought. Their hats are well down
ON their heads. This again is sign Of intel
Ggence. Do not smile The fool perches his
hat on bis head, the man with a well filed
brain puts his head into its covering.
These seme faces are pale, and you see
many prematurely gray heads The want Of
open air exercise, the dryness of the atmos-
phere, the suffocating heat of the rooms, the
vitiated air in the houses, which seem to have
windows only for the purpose of letting in a
little light, easily explain this double phe-
nomenon.
The women Of every country are unani-
nous in pronouncing the American men
handsome, and as there are few men who do
not think the American women lovely, there
can be but one opinion on the subject: the
American race is good looking race. But
that which makes the charm of the mems
faces is not regularity of feature; it is, as
have already said, the intelligence written on
them. the wonderful activity which animates
them.
This activity you find in all stations Of life,
In the financial world. the literary world, the
world Of politics. everywhere 1t Is fever
with which the whole nation Is smitten.
In the eyes Of the worthy, peaceful French
man who has not travelled, an American is a
lunatic, who does nothing like other people.
After all, eccentricity is but an exaggerated
form of activity, but for certain people with
narrow ideas, eccentricity and madness are
but one and the same thing.
Let US take little look at Americans at
home, and see IL was wrong in calling
American life pure phantasmagoria-
We will begin by the private houses.
In q well appointed house you will find in a
little room on the ground floor brass plate
fitted with several buttons You touch the
first sud Immediately cab drives up to your
door. II you press it twice it is two horse
cab that comes. You touch the second and
In minute or two there appears messenger
from the telegraph office to take your teler
gram or carry parcel or message for you to
any part of the city. You touch the third
and policeman presents himself, as IL by en-
chantment, to know If you suspect the pres
ence of burglars You touch the fourth, and
hey, prestol up dashes the fire brigade with
engine, fire escape and the rest of their life
saving apparatus. and this in about the time
that it took Cinderella's godmother to turn
the pumpkin into coach.
Jonathan will not stop here Before long
we shall see the architects of all first class
houses laying on not only gas, water, the tele-
phone and the electric light, but the opera
and church service A landlord viii adver-
tise house to- let: 1.-THE opera and church
service laid on the premises"
Already the ladies Of Chicago are able to
do their marketing at home.
The housekeeper goes to her telephone and
rings
"He1oI" responds the central office.
"Put me in communication with ,4SS" Cher
butchers NUMBER.
In another instant the bell rings
'sHelloIn
"Helloln
.Is it the butcher
eyes"
'Send me two pounds of fillet of beef and
a leg of mutton by la o'clock"
very goodl Is that allf
eyes"
"Ail right"
Upon this the lady rings again.
"Hellor" from the central Office, where this
kind of thing goes on all day long.
Send me l.267p tthe fruiterer this time).
Again the bell rings.
"HeIlop
"HeIloin
sis this the fruitererq"
"Yes.n
And the scene is repeated--and SO on with
he hol -