The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1893-03-26

simply to the moderation OF excitement in
American life, aud this in turn Is due to the
fact that with the growth of a leisure class
and the o. meut wealth, ths passion for
money-grabbing becom 5 ls.s s.roi K, AID the
pressure of busine &c lses to $ me degree.
VI course, even now the business man Is
always talking about the terrible rush OF
bis work; but it is really not go terrible as
he would have US believe The business
pressure IN London Is, in my opinion, far
greater than in New York: ana as for the
social whirl, New York doesn't compare
with Rome. Roman society during the
four months Of the season gets practically
no sleep at all. In New York society is far
more moderate.
''And this brings me to the subject Of the
conditions Of American life; the most in
teresting of these conditions. in my judg-
ment, is the complete absence OF tradition
in the usages here. OF course there are
many Americans who like TO follow Eu-
ropean traditions; they swallow these at o
gulp, aud the effect is like that Of taking a
pill. Practically, America must make her
own tradi ions, and as she has not as
yet had time 70 do bhis, the American peo-
pie are still untrammeled aud can de-
velop themselves in a natural and spon-
taneous manner. The complete absence of
tradition here has struck me specifically
and yet most forcibly and amusiugly in
American social customs For example,
can't tell you what a strange sensation
have had when have dined at luxurious
American houses where all the appoint
ments have been OF the most magnificent
description, aud where at table havs been
confronted with the spectacle of a butler
wearing a mustache. No one who has not
been brought up abroad amid the iron-clad
rules OF society which prevail European
countries can understand the utter incon-
gruitY of that butler's appearance. AS a
matter OF fact, l don't care q rap about
that sort OF thing, but nevertheless ! can't
help being amused by it, The incident I've
mentioned is only one instance OF a large
number of inoongrulties that / have no.
ticed in American society.
The lack of tradition in America affects
even the arts. Every other country has
long established tradition by which its whole
artistic life is regulated; but America has
as yet to develop its schools Of literature,
painting, sculpture and music. We have
not thus far produced one great writer.
Alb, yes, Eme, son, Hawthorne, Lowell and
the little group of New England writer's OF
twenty-five years ago did admirable work;
but judged by the standards of Sophocles,
Shakespeare, Dante, Goethe aud Schiller,
they must be rated as seoond-class men.
Hawthorne was the greatest writer
that We have ever produced but he was
only on the fringe of tho first-class. Every
has had its artistic era. As rule, 1t comes
only once, though in the case of Rome.
through the mingling Of foreign blood,
there was a renaissance; but this was only
a conspicuous exception. Our era Is yet to
come, possibly the next century is to pro-
duce it. At present America is remarkable
chiefly for her greatly number OF second
class writers. We are doing work Of mag
nificent mediocrity. The great men OF the
future will perhaps stand upon our flaws.
ION the whole, my last visit here has
filled me with the highest admiration Of
my country and given me the greatest hope
for the future. l believe that we are pass
ing out OF the period of hurry and worry,
and are coming fast to a time when we
shall be able TO give more attention to cult
ure. That Americans ara refining Is
shown by one fact that struck me as soon
as landed here early In the winter they
speak far better English now than
they did ten years ago. With the
increase Of leisure, society will bring to-
gether men aud women more than hereto
fore. In this country tbes sexes are curiously
divided; men have very little OF the com
panionship of women. The result is that
their understanding OF their own sex IS de-
veloped, but the finer side of their nature
suffers. American women pretend that
they can get along very we'll without the
society of men by giving themselves up to
the clubs and charitable work, but it is
natural for woman TO see one an
others compsnionship, and am convinced
that during the next few years many OF
tho conventional barriers between the sexes
will be broken down. In Europe,
women would scorn the Occu-
pations Of the women In this
country as altogether to dull to be endured;
they like the companionship OF men, and
they have It. The result is beneficial to
both themselves and the men,"
Mr.. Crawford, who sailed for his
home In Sorrento. Italy, will return TO
this country IN the fall for a series of lect-
ures. His last visit has been SO successful
and it has given him 80 much material for
work, and so much personal satisfaction
that he has planned to come here every
year TO future.