Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-08-30

~ write school book he should say:
~MSN "Population Of Paris three millions
| principally Americans"
The hegira of Americans to Paris, to Europe,
| to ''foreign parts, has become 80 enormous
| that it well may be counted in a. one of the
potent influences which does and will mold
the American character. The sum of
s6O, 000, 900 year floats into the city of Paris
alone through the hands Of the bankers from
America, and North America at that How
much more those rich South Americans
spend there have never dared to ask. They
are prodigiously rich and popular, and at the
grea: exposition Of 1899 if You said America"
it meant Brazil, Chill, the Argentine Republic
to listening ears; it did not mean New York,
Boston, Washington or San Francisco.
However, for the purposes Of this paper, we
will think of North America only as showing
| the effect of travel and life in Europe The
races are mostly Spanish and French, who in
hablt the southern continent; they have there
fore only gone home when they return to
Paris With us of Puritan lineage the effect is
quite different. We go to another race, differ.
ing from us in antecedents. religion and hay-
ing totally different idea of the value Of
speaking the truth. 1t is vast and an over
whelminS change. To use a French word for
which We have no exact translation, it Is a
Embarrassment OF all our traditional beliefs.
THE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
As travellers we experience for the first time
all the most delightful emotions; we see the
grandest and the most wonderful cities, the
| finest roads, the most comfortable hotels. All
the world is our servant, the servant OF that
almighty dollar, which, as a nation, We fling
about us most lavishly. We get more for it at
hrst than we do at home, and we are too
dazzled TO measure with exacttude how much
OF our own enthusiasm and pleasure at taking
holiday Is thrown into our first ENJOYMENT Of
Europe. We see Switzerland and its wouders
and Rome with its fascination. We open the
door OF that wonderful past, which is the
palace OF Aladdin. To the reader and the
thinker every old church is a shrine. every
palace historical treat We 20 to Westminster
Abbey as a child roturns to grandfather house;
or enter Notro Dame, where everything has
happened with our ideas full Of Clovis, Charlie
imagine and Victor Hugo. We go to Spain and Law
pious hand on the iron coffin of Isabella. re-
]oiclng that Prescott and Irving have returned
to her the hospitality she exended to Column
bus. II we are students We haunt tie galleries
OF Madrid. Paris, Florence and Dresden, Hol-
land, London and Rome. and grow to be like
those exalted beings mentioned in Taylor's
'Physical Theory OF our New Life" the eve
seems 10 have more power, and the ear can
hear the melodies Of heaven. OF the Joys of
travel to tho untraveled there can be no words
too expressive, no language too exaggerated
to describe them. We love Europe and we
hate to come home, and VIC become less good
Americans. But If as travellers we 90 too often
or it we stay too long the glamor does not last.
In the first place, suppose we join an American
illusioned and to find, in the first
place, that the colonists are discon-
tented. They have pulled up their roots; they
are OF no importance in Rome or Paris They
have lost their place at home. Tho life be-
comes petty; they are not part of q great COM
monwealth, whose charities, whose religion.
whose country, whose dignity, whose every
day enormous interests embrace and ennoble
them. They are disinte2rated atom, blown
by the caprice OF landlords from one street to
another, and they feel always this isolation II
makes them captious, gossipy, small The
immediate cost of every article, the servants.
the little dog, become the subjects OF CONVEX
sation, and then. alas! the character Of ones
noighbor is the favorite topic.
THE BANE OF COLONY LIFE.
have never heard character SO discussed or
so torn to pieces as in certain American colonies
in Europe. In London, Oulda, in her latest
novel, satirizes this disposition of the Ameri.
can woman TO abuse the past of every other
American woman. To be sure many women
have very much improved their position by
changing their latitude and longitude. But il
we improve our social position by changing our
latitude and longitude, why not let us stay i'm
proved! Change OF air is good for the consti-
be refused to the delicate state of health
known as a doubtful social position?
Mrs. Brown OF Boston may never have been
appreciated in Boston. In London she is highly
appreciated. But Mrs. Beacon Hill is angry at
this and tells everybody in London all "about
Mrs. Brown" She merely gets laughed at for
her pains, as what does the London lady care
for the traditions of Beacon Hill? In London
all wish to be amused, and the more American
Mrs Brown is the more they are amused, while
Rnannp v,nSn Al. 4
WITHOUT AN ANCHORAGE.
This utter lack of esprit du corps" in
nation so true to its flag is remarkable. It il
the first, but by no means the last evil effect
Of Europe on the American character IL
shows the demoralizing influence of that up.
roofing process which an Anglo Sa xon seems
to be worse than to any other nation. Per-
haps because home and q love of home which
the English-speaking races carry into all their
coionizations In Australia and other simpler
states, Is left out. and thus one anchorage is
lost. But it is quite true that luxurious colon
ists In London, Paris, Rome, Florence are dis
contented as a rule, and that they quarrel
much more with each other than any other
coionists Is also true. Therefore one asks why?
And must md the answers where they can
Who will answer it2 There are some questions
which are never answered, as What is Truth"
10 those people who live in Europe because
they ind their occupation there these remarks
40 NOT apply. Many bankers. merchanta.
artists, clergymen and all officials have Just as
much home life in Europe as anywhere else.
The American colony in Paris is rich in most
admirable women, devoted to charities and to
good works, but they are those who most de-
plore the evil effects OF Europe on certain
other characters.
Let one lady appear with much jewelry; let
her entertain splendidly and attract the notice
OF Europeans. Her worst critics are her own
country people. Let young girl marry ad-
yantageously Gas the word goes); she is sure to
be abused Surprising that an American
writes a successful novel or play; he is called q
plagiarist Americans do not praise him, and
1t was mentioned OF a recent consul. whose
popular manners made him a great favorite.
that 1t was a pity he should be removed. for
sure his fellow countrymsn speak we'll of
him."
LOSS or PATRIOTISM
The effect Of Europe on the American char
acter has perhaps extended that somewhat un-
certain article known as culture. II has i'm
proved taste and enlarged the mind of those
who come home. All the matter of internal
decoration, of the highly refined way Of living
and the knowledge OF art-this has been won
derfully developed BY European travel. A
scholar can be trained in our own upiyersitiea
and in his own library, but a man or woman of
the world must see Europe-see 1t broadly.
philosophically. and with those unpreiudiced
eyes which are the birthright Of an American.
know no men superior to those travelled
Americans who have not lost their patriotism
and their loyalty. Beautiful words pstriotism
and loyalty! They combine all the yirtuea. n