New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-17
A VISITORS OPINIONS.
ON SOME SOCIAL ASPECTS OF AMERICAN
LIFE.
Aide in The Nineteenth Century


Those who do not know the United states apt to
speak o the Nation as Of one people OF course, TO
various Municipalities nas produced tne most
and even opposed onafaotersuos; but upon the Eng
usnman who would form any thing but the vaguest
aea OF America II Is necessary TO impress this.
II Is trde, as Mr. bryce observes, ulat there Is
more nke another Anelaoall tnan one nglshn1an IL
the beaten path and shows any originality IS at once
syed "a crank Yet tie conditions OF 1e III t,ie
Eastern ana western states different tat uie
observations made in city 90 not apply necessarily
70 another and even in the East the rival cues M
ANY confounding of their idiosy ncrasies In New
lOrk tue IRISH population prepOnderaes SO largely tal
political power and civic inn1ence are wholly III their
hands. If asks ii cones about lnat so ncn
community can allow its steets " remain III the ois-
graceful condition in which they are, there Is tHe
Irish. None Of the millOnaires VINO I'VE mere haVo
any power 10 alter the state OF things IN Chehi-
nau and other cities II is the German element lhat
prevails. Newspapers institutions Of all khds ana
The cultivation OF the higher class Of music color the
existence and must largely ahect the mental develop,
mont OF the younger generation. In san ANTONIO
was told there were seventeen dlsunct mathematics,
In New Orleans there Is as the world has been MADE
well aware lately in addition 10 the French creoes,
very large Italian settlement AND when you nave
done with the negro in the south Though yea never
have done with him entirely throughout the unlted
StateSl you take up the Chlhese aho hnd whoe guar
eIs OF the cities and occasionally village ~ California
inhabited by them SO many naunalltleS int.riused
with the native population must necessary dIeT tne
complexion OF each state Yet some qualities are OF
selfdependence enterprise and perseverance seem
indigenous TO the American soil and muniloenc to%ad
"a
citizen considers paramount duty. Whether among
those who have carved name for themselves on tables
opened up and civilized vast tracts OF TINS great cOn
nent those VINO have rendered services 10 mankind
are marked The true American cannot understand
the delight of repOSe; 10 him inactivity is irritating;
fortune, whether the OBJECT be personal or patriotic
almost feversh energy directs his movements.
Chicago stands testimony Of ths--a city burnt
down but few years since, and now the biggest In
area E2S the AN WhePc am En gesGr
fails, and is heard OF no more the instances here
of wealth won by daring speculation, lost, and then
an bazarls-js too much held up TO youth as the aim
of existence. To some of il seems that there are
things better worth striving for than such success.
! cannot say that my observation has led me to the
same conclusions as Mr. Bryce, In the estimate he
forms Of the pleasantneSs Of American life 1t Is
probably true Thai the lower orders are happier earn
ing they do larger wages, and with the wellOunded
hope of growing richer and rising In the social scale.
The workman with ten shillingS day, the hOusemad
with fifty sixty pounds YEAR. need not be gnaWed
by envy and hatred Of those born in another sphere,
such corrOdes the peace Of mechanics inocnlatd
with sOcalistic doctrine in Europe. But from what
1 observed OF the upper classes in America did not
receive the Impression that they more cOntented,
or in any sense happe:, than persons In the same
station in England. Among the men the wearinoss
that follows OvewOrk, among the women the disease
Of unquict longing for change are not cOncOmitant of
happiness. Whenever | asked why the lowest kind OF
"vanety" entertainment at the theatre drew greater
strong play of human passion. ! received the same
reply our at the end of their days work too
thing win do that makes them laugh" such a con
ditiOn of mental prostraton is almost pathetic but 1t
does not give one an idea Of happiness. large
proportion of the great wealth of America is CON
fesselly due TO speculation and this must bring
wrought brain finds little repose in home built on
such bases: The steamer that bears him to Europe
breathing space the only respite from the pursuit of
kilograms. that he has known for more.
THE RESTLESS AMERICAN WOMAN.
The restlesSness of Amcri' women, which takes
Iaudabe-fOrmS. Is another
expression of the truth, it seems 10 me. The
woman Of fashion, eager for excitement is probably In
the main, much the same in London New YORK but
lhe very charm OF her manner, blthe and bIdlike,
too long poised upon tie same tvig makes of the
typical New York ieay very different being from her
life means Tor Newport, Lenox to travel,
70 yacht, or 10 fill a villa residence with
Of home far from the metropolis, with its small vii,
lge interests and obligations the breezy mOnotouy
rocking chair, in which VIII sway herself Tor hours
together illustrates her condition of unrest which
steal intellectual, all the time She is never seen
with needle in her hand and this is not only true of
New York throughout the length and breadth of
America, 1t may have been chance, but never once
saw lady working The employment. unless nece,
scientously as Hoods shrtmakerl, is too reposeful
too discriminating to the American female mind She
Will attend Browning lectures, and Wagner expOsi
tons. and lectures the Aztecs, and spiritual
ana LAY s ms gn0a evy sIeecf unae e sun
and work far more assiduousy than the average Eng
NEWMAN
considers when she has left the Schoolroom that her
education Is complete Bat hav Ing few servants, and
and her eager mind, abhorrng vacuum seeks for
food in the world of pleasure: or of knowledge to be
SitiOn.
This teverishness IS no doubt partly due to early
education. The child Is never child in America. as
we understand the word. The Infants p,ulant ire
visibility is subject to little no restraint as thos
who have dwet in hotels where there were several
children can testify. Later on constant round Of
excitement stimulates Their poor little brains at the
they most need rest The number Of precocious child
actors teste' to this abnormal development Of brain.
but, as great actress said to me- one expects these
wonderful children 10 turn out genu,es-they seldom
DO Americans themselves have told ME that they
SEM their young daughters 10 school or to Europe.
allowed to nav and pece> d,Ily vis to have nc
parties, with gossip and nirtations while SIN in
being deprived Of amnscments shared by All their
companions. The consequence is that when the bud,
a. she termed opens upon society she IS already an
ac,eomplshgd little woman Of the world, quite able to
her own in verbal fence with young men and old gen
ing long since lost all the aroma of early youth
man described such young lady to me thus: "Why,
brilliant repsrtee" The mother IS unite pnt into IN the
background; not from want of affection but because
pleasure You read in the newspapers. miss WV had
reception on Monday, when she was assisted by her
BOSTON CULTURE.
AS regards language there are some words and forms
Americans the word guess for think or be
ueve' but found that, while ii was in general use in
the midland states reckon" took its place in the
south, and calculate the pure YANKEE equiva-
lent. The OF gotten for the past participle
got" belongs 10 New England and is maintained with
justice 10 be the correct FORM tran ed
direct 10 the inhabitants from their Puritan fathers
As you west you never hear it, The use Of right
as pleonasm seems general throughout the stats
even IN educated classes one gentleman at Pitts
burg directed TO 90 fright downstairs and then
right along the passage" and then should find The
smOking-rOOm right before me-" No American ever
talks OF pulling house down, he tears IL down. The
use Of conclude in several states is quite different
from man concludes Instead of re. Olives,
10 20 to New York, for instance But this question
language is too large 10 enter upon In article
not devoted 20 the subject ! have only tOuched i
here 10 mark the differences that exist in this respect
a. in others, throughout the country. A. rule tn,
BOtOnian of the upper class speaks 50 like wclled
Gated EnClisman-nOt the uttercr Of debased coin
which passes current fashionable slang-that, eX
cept for the pronunciation Of word occasionally, II
would be difficult TO detect his nationality.
vast deal Of nonsense has been written abou