Lancaster daily intelligencer. [volume] (Lancaster, Pa.) 1864-1928, 1889-02-02
CHAPTER TX.

worn aDOuC AMERICAN ortstOcracy 70 ~
gin with.
What, American aristocracyi
Yes, certainly.
Iassuro you that therc exists In America
social sanctuaries into which II 10 moro difii.
cult to penetrate than into the most exclusive
mansions Of the Faubourg Saint -Germain or
Of Mayfair and Belgravia.
There arc In Philadelphia; In Beacon street,
Boston; In Washington square north side),
New York; In Virginia; In Canal street fright
side), New Orleans, Americans who look upon
common mortals with much moro pity and
contempt than tho Montmorencys Of France
or the Howards Of England.
The Americans not having any king TO
give them titles Of nobility, have created an
aristocracy Tor themselves This aristocracy
boasts rs yet no dukes, marquises, csris, or
barons, but the blue blood Is there, It appears
Dutch blood as q rule-and that Is sufficient
When European nobleman arrives In the
States, tho American aristocracy leave cards
upon him at the hotel where he has slighted
He may perhaps be personally known to none;
but all nobilities are kindred everywhere, Il
u an act Of international courtesy, as It wero
Tho European nobleman, who often goes to
America for lowered wife, Is much Obliged
to them, and returns all tho visits paid him.
A New York lady, who Is quite an author
ity upon such matters, told mo ono day that
society in New York was composed OF only
four hundred persons Outside this company
Of elect, all Philistines.
Money or celebrity may allow you to enter
into this charmed circle, but you will never
belong TO It. You will be In it, but not Of II.
The lady In question entered also into very
minute details on tho subject Of what she
called the difference between society people,
and people In society,"" but. In spite Of all
her explanations, confess did not seize the
delicate nuances she tried TO convey. All !
clearly understood was that the aristocracy
Of birth exists In America, not only In the
brains Of those who form part Of II, but also
In the eyes OF their compatriots.
The desire to establish an aristocracy OF
some sort was bound to haunt tho breast Of
the Americans; 1t was tho only thing that
their dollars seemed unable to procure them.
Tho second aristocracy Is the aristocracy OF
money, plutocracy. To belong to this It 1,
not sufficient to be a millionaire-you must, I
am told, belong to q third generation Of mill
ionaires. or such are tho Astors, tho Van
derblts and company. Three quarters Of
mobility" are tho necessary key Of this little
world. Tho first generation makes the mill
Ions, the second generation Is parvenue, tho
third is arriyee In tho eyes OF these people
to have from thirtyior forty to fifty thousand
dollars a year Ia to bc In decent poverty. To
have two or three hundred thousand dollars
year Is 10 be In easy circumstances.
The third aristocracy Is tho aristocracy Of
talent, literary and artistic society. This
third aristocracy Is incontestably tho lrst. IL
you will excuse the Hibcrnianism.
! do not think that one could find any.
where, or even imagine, a society more re-
fined, more affable, moro hospitable, more
witty or moro brilliant should like Just
hero to indulge in a string Of adjectives dfter
the fashion Of Mime. de Sevignc.
One Of the consequences Of tho position
which woman takes In tho United States
Is, that in good American drawing rooms con.
versatioD is never dull.
III ] were queen" exclaimed Mime Re-
camier one day. ~ would command Nine.
do stael TO talk to mo all day long" One
would like TO DO able to give the same order
to plenty Of American women. In their com.
pany conversation never flags and always re.
mains within the domain Of causerie; they
glide lightly from one subject to another, ex-
tracing something fresh from each. pass
from the serious to the gay, even to the frivo-
lous without sscoming commonplace, scar
again to lofty heights. but 10 not disdain.
come down to gossip Tor q minute or w Ane1n