New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1893-10-15
ENNUI.
A MISUNDERSTOOD MALADY FROM
WHICH AMERICANS ARE EXEMPT,
AND ROYALTY THE GREAT
EST SUFFERERS.

EST SUFFERERS.
rrru, lilo chic is a French word but little
understood and subject to much misinterpreta-
ton. especially in this bustng. active country
where ennui is practically unknown. Inc
ma ior;tv If Americans are far too busy 10 ex-
nerience the sentiment, while the leisure GLASS;
still in an embryo state are as a rule 100 new
10 their condition to have the feeling. 10 sulei
from ennui implies such degree OF Kno"ieuse
of life that all the ordinary routine e'e"''
thereof have longer any power 10 Interest
the mind. Ennui is not WEAKNESS nor 'euiou'-
ness as described in the dictionaries nor we.
is IL possible to accept THE London Spectators
translation of the word as boredom Ing
French word that expresses the latter IS 'he
somewhat vulgar verb "embeter. boreooiii
differs from ennui in that it is not necessarily
the outcome of high degree OF ciVlhza'ioh'
which ennui certainly Is. An untutoreu sa'aee
Of Central Africa or Of the wilds of Australia
may be bored; so. too may the ignorant "ouii'
Of oriental harems and zenanas. Even an ener-
oet,c business man may feel temporarily bored
nv enforced bodily or mental inacton or by
drearv association. But that can scarcely De de-
scribod as ennui to experience which, In the
true sense of the word, you must De thor-
oughly blase and oppressed with ieehhg Oh
moral and physical safety. You must know
everything have tried everything nave hao
all your wishes and ambitions satisfied, all oD-
staces removed from your path, and pass your
way through life with the firm conVlctioh tha'
there remains nothing either to interest or
arouse your ambition that you are condemned
forever to humdrum monotony ana 10 cohihioh-
place.
Although II Is customary to describe ennui as
the prevailing malady Of our present most ell
lightened era, yet the number OF people WHO
can really be considered as afflicted Herewith Is
far smaller than one would be inclined 10 pe
Ievo In the first place. Americans are absolute
" exempt therefrom. and If | venture TO make
this assertion, it is because have never yet
in all my experience met any or Uncle sam
sons or daughters who were devoid of ambition
I'm some form or another. With some 1t Is or
a political character; with others social. and
with others again it is pre-eminence in busl-
ness. in religious in scientific pursuits. No one
ia content Everybody is striving, and rightly
so for something better. Nov, as long as
there is this feeling. there can pc no safety
and without safety there is no ennui.
The greatest sufferers from ennui are the I'M
perial and royal personagcs OF the Ola world
! and the great mobiles Of Europe whose ancestry
| is go iustrious. their rank so high and their
wealth SO great that no token of their soVer-
egn's favor could add to their prestige or 10
their hap piness The most conspicuous Vicum oil
/ all is perhaps the Prince OF Wales ana the one
particular aim Of his intimate friends and at
tendants is to combat this malady. TO this,
and to this alone. must be attributed the some
times extravagant. and at first sight astonlsh-
ing. forms Of entertainment organized ior his
diversion by what ssknown as the MARLBOROUGH
/ House circle He Is ready and even anxious
10 be interested and amused-and so great are
his considerable kindness and genial tact that
TO save his hosts from disappointment he often
! affects interest when ennuyed beyond express
sion But even with the best of intentions on
his part as well on that Of his entertainers
the effort to dispel his ennu results in down.
right failure. There is scarcely anything that
does not pail upon him Every species OF stimuli
| liant seems 70 have lost It's force. He has tried
! cvorvthing and tasted of everything. and the
! members Of his encourage rack their brains In
vain To discover something that will appear to
/ him in a new and novel light. Any one WILL
, ing To- assist them in this wearyng search Is
welcomed with open arms. and that is why
the Prince is sometimes to be found in such
queer company. and why he is so far more
accessible than other princes Of the blood. II
/ he manifcsts 80 much goodwill toward people
such as the Snssoons. the late Sir James Mac
IIrsch and to others. who. while worthy peo-
nle can scarcely be regarded as belonging to
the class described on the Continent as "tafel-
fnehig" that Is to say. among whom royalty
IS accustomed to look for associates, il is be-
cause they possess the desire and the means
necessary to provi le him with amusement. and
t. dispcl his ennui. Sometimes they import the
entire company Of a leading Partisan theatre
for his entertainment. or else invite "A recently
returned explorer. newly discovered W.T.
even a lIsus naturae or dime museum freak to
meet him at their house; anything, anything
for the sake Of novelty
Unfortunately. any success that they may
achieve in their endeavors toward this OBJ
jcct IL only Of transitory nature. He quickly
tires Of 1t. Thus. | recall TO mind member
Of the British diplomatic service who had
spent some years at the court of an Oriental
ruler whose Empire at that time
shrouded in almost impenetrabe mystery. The
diplomat was well born. handsome and re-
markedly clever and wont to relate in
the most charming and attractive manner his
, exotic experiences At first he delighted and
Interested the Prince. who was loud and en-
thusiastic I'm his praises of the accomplished
secretary of the embassy. He would include
his name in the list OF guests whom he in
timated his desire TO be Invited to meet him
, when he dined out; he put him up at the
Marlborough club and in fact manifested in
every possible way his royal goodwill to the
, man who had succeeded in entertaining him.
Alas, the interest was short-livcd, and long
before the diplomats store of bizarre oriental
. stories and adventures had been exhausted
His Royal Hghness. as usual, became tired
and in the phraseoogy of his future king. the
| Diplomat became transformed from Dear
| b" into that dreadful bore"
So 1t Is with everything and everybody the
| only difference being that some things and
some people manage to retain his interest a
little longer than others. Perhaps those who
succeeded in retaining their hold the longest
were the contingent Of American beauties who