Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1891-06-06
Written for The Evening Star
TRAVELLING AMERICANS.
Why Some Wanderers Become . Laughing
Stock Abroad.

TRAVELLING AMERICANS.
Why Some Wanderers Become +. Iaurbins
Stock Abroad.
THE CHARM OF EUROPEAN TRAyEI-rHR cpIc
TURED AMERICAN ATTRACTS NO NorIcx-rax
TRAVELLED FOOL AND THE DONATION Allied
IANKEE--sIzINo Up the VISITORS AT WATERLOO.
GONE WITTY EUROPEAN THUS EPI-
~ dramatically defines the various English
speaking races:
The Englishman IL never satisfied except
when finding fault; the Irishman 10 never at
peace except when he is quarrsling; the Scotch
man is never quite at home except when he 10
abroad; as for the American, he combines all
three OF these peculiarities.
Whatever may be said as to his disposition to
md fault or pick quarrel, it 10 undoubtedly
true that the American does like TO travel.
The leading motif Of the average American Is
TO get as much money as possible in the short
est conceivable time; then to spend it-often
mot wisely, but too well;'' and one Of the most
agreeable and. it may be added, rapid methods
OF getting rid Of accumulated ducats il travel
ing. 1t may also be one of the wissst and most
beneficial uses Of money, but that depends on
the person.
THE TRAvELfD FooL.
Against stupidity even the gods strive in
vain, and all the advantages Of Europe, Asia
and Africa combined. with the rest Of the
world thrown in, cannot make . fool other
than fool. The ignorant, vulgar. self-com-
placent. shallow American comes back from
European tour with all the salient points
accentuated and only q little less ignorant Of
few slender streamlets Of information have
happened to dribbls through some break in
this almost impervious covering Of self-con-
ceit It only serves to make such person more
insufferable than before. Verify, there il no
fool like the travelled fool!
To furnish the more Objectionable class Of
Americans with the means to misrepresent
this country abroad seems to be one OF fate's
| favorite jokes. Just now every ocean steamer
that leaves our ports is freighted with them.
1t makes every good Americans ears Jingle to
think of the enormities these people are
| going to commit to make us q by-word and
laughing stock in all civilized quarters Of the
\ earth.
But say you, why should we care what Eu.
ropeans think Of US, anyway We can afford
| to let them laugh.
Undoubtedly, especially il we stay this side
OF the Atlantic; but an American of the better
class gets very sensitive this point after be-
| ing in Europe awhile, and resents the con-
temptuous or patronizing attitude OF Europeans
OF all classes toward our country and our peo-
| pie, resents 1t even while admitting that they
have had ample reason for the conclusions they
have formed. Think OF the men, too, often
| selected to represent our government in other
| countries, or rather do not think of them or
| their still more Objectionable wives and daugh-
tiers and other female appendages, IL you wish
to preserve proper respect for your country's
institutions.
THE CULTURED AMERICAN ATTRACTS no NOTICE.
Then, as ''happy women have no history" so
the cultured American traveller excites no COM
ment. 1t is the other and more numerous
class, the snowy, loud, self-asserting yet good
natured sort that attract attention-the women
who wear diamonds on journey. firt with their
couriers and talk necessarily Of where they
have been and where they are going, the men
who joke with the walters, fling handfuls Of
money OIL the tables, shout execrable English
at foreigners in the expectation Of their max
ing themselves better understood, and who not
only are not ashamed of their ignorance Of art
and history and languages but seem to regard
IT as some thing to be rather proud Of, on the
whole, or at most a source OF innocent merri-
ment.
The disposition to criticise and eneer at
Americans pervades all classes, and widest
spread of all the discreditable views concern
ing US is the belief that no American speaks
English as well as any Englishman.
AT WATERLOO.
The writer was once with q party Of Ameri-
cans at Waterloo. Every one who has been
there must remember the guide at "Hougo-
mont'-Teresa Pinson-a big, strapping peas.
ant woman, with the stride of a man, a bass
voice. and rough-hewn face full of shrewd-
ness and surface good humor. the sort of
woman one would not like to engage in battle,
exactly. She recognized our nationality at a
glance, and memories Of past favors made her
extremely affable and attentive. She took us
everywhere, told US many things we knew and
some that we did not know. tempted us with
the usual relics, and let of all her stock of
Jokes and stories, all in peculiar but quite in
telligible English. On being asked how she
acquired the language; she replied:
Some from re Inglees, some from re
American
To sound her on certain point remarked
In casual sort Of way: 'Of course you have
noticed the difference-the Americans speak
the language much better than the English"
Teresa turned, put one big index finger on
the side OF her big nose, winked one eye cutelx
and answered: mot for Joer' Then pulling
down the lower eyelid with the same finger, she
added: You see somesing greene"
wished had not tried to draw her out
She likewise showed US letter from an
American tourist referring to an Enclosure of
rs francs and requesting her to Send to his ad-
dress in Antwerp the skeleton she had offered
to sell him some time before.
These exhumed skeletons Of the victims of
Waterloo are one of the chief sources of income
to the peasant of that vicinity. Every spring a
fresh supply is ploughed to the surface and il is
said that the people thereabout do not confine
themselves to military remains but dig up the
bones of their own friends and relatives with
out regard to age or sex, soon as they have
reached a marketable condition.
Teresa offered us a fine exhumed specimen
at a bargain and seemed much hurt at not find
ing purchaser in our party. She evidently
considered no collection Of bric-a-brac COM
plete without its skeleton hero.
THE DENATIoNALIzID AMERICAN,
But to return to our travelling countrymen.
Even more Objectionable than the shoddy
American, who is generally sincere il some
what famboyant patriot, is the denstionalized
American, who far from resenting any fling at
his country or countrymen, joins in the hue
and cry, outsneering the most contemptuous.
One such l heard Of, who, while occupying a
post of honor at a European capital, declared
at dinner of foreign officials that he 'loathed
everything American" Probably he never has
become aware Of the fact that foreigners de-
spise this sort Of American with special ardor
Between these two extremes there il a vast
space, occupied by class Of people who know
how to behave properly, respect themselves
| and their country and are capable of getting
all possible benefit and enjoyment from q for
eign tour, and every year the proportion of
these becomes greater.
| THE CHARM OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL.
Preach rs we may about Seeing our own
country first" and we all admit the good
sense and justice Of the theory, there is no
denying the fact that Europe and its adjacent
countries exercise q charm over the Imagination