The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1889-03-01
CHAPTER TX.

OI1AI l6ES La.
A word about American aristocracy to be-
gin with.
What, American aristocracya
Yes, certainly.
assure you that there exists in America
social sanctuaries into which it is more diff
cult to penetrate than into the most exclusive
mansions of the Faubourg Saint German or
of Mayfair and Belgravia.
There are 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 more pity and
contempt than the Montmorencys of France
or the Towards Of England.
The Americans, not having any king to
give them titles Of nobility, have created an
aristocracy for themselves This aristocracy
boasts as yet no dukes marquises, earls, or
barons, but the blue blood is there, it appears
Dutch blood as rule-and that is sufficient.
When European nohleman arrives in the
States, the American aristocracy leave cards
upon him at the hotel where he has alighted.
He may perhaps be personally known to none;
but all nobilities are kindred everywhere, it
is an act of international courtesy, as it were.
The European nobleman, who often goes to
America for lowered wife, is much obliged
to them, and returns all the visits paid him.
A New York lady, who is quite an author
ity upon such matters, told me one 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 it.
The lady in question entered also into very
minute details on the 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 it, but also
in the eyes of their compatriots.
The desire to establish an aristocracy of
some sort was bound to haunt the breast of
the Americans; it was the only thing that
their dollars seemed unable to procure them.
The second aristocracy is the aristocracy OF
money, plutocracy. To belong to this it is
not sufficient to be millionaire-you must, !
am told, belong. to a third generation of mill
ionaires. Of such are the Astors, the Van
derbilts and company. Three quarters of
mobility are the necessary key of this little
world. The first generation makes the mill
ions, the second generation is parvenue, the
third is arrivee In the eyes of these people
to have from thirty.or forty to fifty thousand
dollars q year is to be in decent poverty. To
have two or three hundred thousand dollars
year is to be in easy circumstances.
The third aristocracy is the aristocracy of
talent, literary and artistic society. This
third aristocracy is incontestably the first, if
you will excuse the Hibernianism.
do not think that one could find any
where, or even imagine, q society more re-
fined, moro affable, more hospitable, more
witty or more brilliant should like just
here t. indulge in string of adjectives after
the fashion of Nine. de Sevigne.
One of the consequences of the position
which woman takes in the United States
is, that in good American drawing rooms con-
versation is never dull.
'If l were queen" exclaimed Mime. Re
camier one day, 81 would command Nine.
de Stael to talk to me all day long" One
would like to be 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 tho serious to the gay, even to the frivo-
lous without becoming commonplace, soar
again to lofty heights, but do not disdain to
come down to gossip for minute or two; all
this without q grain of affectation, but with
a charm of naturalness that is delightfully."-
winning
French women are the only ones know
who can compare with the American lady in
charm of conversation, and even then am
obliged to admit two things: that the Ameri-
can women of intellectual society are often
more natural than their French rivals, and
that they make less effort to charm. In a
word, with them you are amiable without
having to be gallant, and none of those
stereotyped compliments, which so often spoil
the charm Of a conversation between a man
and woman, are expected of you
The Americans, and that in every station
of life, have almost always three names: one
Christian name and two family ones: George
Washington Smith, Benjamin Franklin
Jones, William Tell Brown. l should not
have been astonished to make tho acquaint-
ance of a Mr.. Napoleon Bonaparte Robinson.
The celebrities do not escape it any more
than tho rest; Henry Wordsworth Longfellow,
John Greenleaf Whittier. Oliver Wendell
Holmes. Thomas Bailey Aldrich, Richard