New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-02
McAlLISTER'S BOOK.
WHAT aFoREIGNER SAYS ABOUT 1T.

inc Mr.. Wad McAllister's projected lecturing
,our in the Vest-paragraphs which are possibly
destined to reparc the ground against the time
wheu in thcguise of latter day Columbus he
will cross tn broad Atlantic once more for the
nurposc of irparting to the benighted inhabitants
of the Old World from the emincnce of lecture
ulatform, inhrmation as to how he found So
cietyn in AIerica. Inasmuch as each of these
nress noticesis careful TO allude to him the
Autocrat of he American drawing-rooms, the
leader of Amzioan society,"" the American Lord
Chesterfield" md =" the supreme arbiter of ele-
rance and fahion in the United States il is TO
no feared tht the extraordinary book which he
has lust published will be regarded in Europe in
the light Of a absolutely correct and unimpeach-
able portraya of the very creme de la creme of
American sotety. AS a stranger who during his
frequent stag in the United States has been the
object Of inch hospitality and kindness, and
whose acquaintance with American society en-
tends bcyoDC the narrow limits of that fraction
thereof aroud which Mr. McAllister rcvoves-
according tohis own account ii rvolves around
him-I beg cave to protest most emphatically
against the cnel manner in which he has Hbeled
lis fellow-contrymen in nearly every line of the
Observation-Disclosures of the volume in question,
and TO deploe the impression which the latter is
certain TO ceate in Europe The persons who
have enjoyc, the advantage Of visiting these
shores. and te privilege OF forming the acquaint-
ance of highly bred. refined and cultured Amer
leans constitute very insignificant minority of
tie people 0 Europe. ard it will be work of
much difficulty to convince the remainder, after
the eX catheta statements of Mr.. McAliister that
this country i anything else than the headquart-
ers Of the MIST appalling snsbbishness and the
r,ost screaming vugarty. L. will require boSh
time and labor to instll into the minds of those
whose knowledge of American society is derived
from Mr.. McAlisters book the belief that there
are people this side of the Atlantic who do not
deem the art of speaking and writing English
correctly inconsistent with good breeding, who
admit that there are otier ladders to social
eminence psides dinners md chcck-books, who
are not entiny destitute of wit rcpartee and
humOr and whose tone and form rise above the
level of the kitchen and the servants hall.
BY strange ,oincidehce there has appeared in
London almost simultaneously with the pubica-
ton OF Mr.. IcAlhsters book on this side OF the
water. volume which tears upon its covers the
information tlat il contains the Confessions of
a Toady.7 Who the toady in question is, the
English publishers do not vouchsafe TO say
for the author. unlike Mr.. McAllister, has pre-
ferred to conceal his ideitity beneath veil Of
anonymity which has given rise to much specua-
ton and conjecture in Pail Mall and Mayfair. In
reading tie Toadys Confessions" one almost
imasines thst ono is perusinS Mr.. McAllister's
Society The former constitutes a species oil
corollary of te latter and after digesting both it
is matter q considerable difficulty 10 remember
where the ole ends and the other begins. The
opening lines il is true are slightly different: for
Scrih hos fat as
"a quiet, unostentatious mddIe-class mai.
possessed of nc higher ambition in life than the
promotion Of hi own particular business in an old
fashioned way" Mr.. McAllisjer devotes his entire
opening chapter 10 the portrayal of 4" the angelic
and madonnalike beauty of his mother AMI the
nobility Of his fathers character. Both books,
however. folew the same lines, and although
that OF Mr. M:Allister processes to be history
Of American. or rather of New-York. society. they
both in reality consist of the autobiographies of
men who. according TO their own admission in
print. have pushed their way up into the sets
of which they now claim TO be the most shining
lights. Moreover after glanciug over the pages
of the two works. no will be able TO deny
that the following delineaton which the Toady
furnishes of his character, is peculiarly applica-
bic to that of his American prototype:
The chief requisites for social success in these
wealth. assurance, persistency and pachydermatous-
ness and indeed. thanks to a valuable supply
of these valuable qualities, | have succeeded in
securing a position in society. At first the
supercilous civility and even not infrequent
brutal intolerance. encountered occasionally dis
turbed me- But SO ardent and engrained is my
worship Of rank that nothing could possibly ever
cfectually discourage ne from its pursuit. How
providentisl il is that we not all born equal.
since should then have had no class to idolize,
and no class TO despiS and this from
aspect is the most perplexing side
Of my monomania FDr in proportion TO my de-
votion for the aristoc,acy, so is my unconcealed
contempt for all. either in or beneath that COM
parativey humble sphere from which / myself
originate"
Mr.. McAlister is equally candid in the admis-
sions scattered throughout his book as to his
. eagerness 10 be asked TO fashionable houses
and smart" entertainments on the ground that
they improve and elevate" him and he dis.
plays a similar righteousness in describing a
number of snubs which he appears to have
drawn upon himsel. by his presumption and
pushing self-asscrtion Equally refreshing are his
arguments as 10 the rival merits of d" nobs" and
swcls two words scarcely. if ever. used by
well-bred people in England, and which he prob
ably acquired from the Regent street shopkeeper
whom he describes as having been his host in
London or from the member of the Queens large
,taff of cooks. whom he refers to with pride as
having entertained him at dinner at Windsor.
From the tenor of these arguments II would APP
near that although Mr.. McAllister prefers breed
70 wool in the case Of his prize ram q" Prince
II Wales" and his hired" SouthdOwns. with
short. thick. stubby tails yet that as far as
L l., do and ainfan &c
oncerncd. his taste is of far more parvenue
iature:
- II YOU want to he fashionable" he declares,
be always in the company Of fashionable people.
I you see fossil of man stability dressed
~lying solely on his pedigree dating back t. time
who has the aspirations of Duke
md the fortunes Of foOtmal il is better to cross
he street and avoid meeting him; IL may be well
o be in with the nobs VINO are born to Their
'ostions, but the support of the swells is more
for societv sustained and carried |