Fairhaven herald. [volume] (Fairhaven, Wash.) 1890-????, 1893-04-15

Drawing Room Talk.
New York women will certainly not agree
with the fair foreign critic whose structures
on our ways are printed below, but they
will doubtless find in them something in
teresting. The writer is a woman whose
experience Of society abroad has given her
admirable scope for comparison. While
presenting her frank statements as made,
The Tribune begs leave to differ very de
cidedly from her in several directions;
Like most visitors from Europe, landed
on your shores with a strong prejudice
against America and Americans, prelu-
dice which am now forced 20 admit was
based on ignorance and that has now en-
tirely disappeared attribute its existence
to the fact that whereas your people of re
finement so closely resemble we'll bred peo-
pie in the old world that they pass in
our midst nr0~-irally unperceived, those Of
your cor who attract attention to
themselvt7 lli to their nationality and
who render themselves disagreeably con
spicuous abroad are precisely the vulgar
and uneducated element of Americans
whose manners appear quite as offensive to
You here as they do TO u.s.
ave cannot help seeing them when they
attention called to those whose behavior is
simple and transformations, and the result
is that Americans do not enjoy particu-
larly good name among untraveled Euro
peans. ASH have said before, this preju-
dice is based on ignorance and will disap-
pear by degrees in proportion as we get to
know you better.
1.-THE feature Of American life that has
struck me more than anything else since
my arrival here is the charming character
of your hospitality, which compares in
every respect most adyantageously with
Ours There is nothing stiff or stilted about
your welcome. You have the exquisite tact
TO give us always the aattering impression
that in being entertained by you we are
comforting upon you "A pleasure and an oh
legation instead Of your comforting it upon
us. Carriages are placed at our disposal
flowers, books, boxes at the theaters, invi-
tations TO luncheon and dinner, are show
cred upon US, and all this is done simply,
pleasantly and without any thought Of os-
tentation, but just as if it were perfectly
natural thing TO do.
1.-THE kindness that have met with in
New York, Philadelphia and in Chicago
simply amazed me and gave me an uncom-
Portable feeling Of conjunction, for certain
ly we do not act thus in Europe. To be re-
ceived in our homes it is necessary to be
long not only to our particular set, but to
be entitled ia some decided manner to be
come the recipient of our comparatively
limited hospitality, and as far as putting
ourselves entirely and without reserve in
the hands Of our guests, as you Americans
do, that seems to be with us quite out of
the question.
"a feature of American life which is less
pleasing 10 the European eyes, at any
rate, is the absolute lack of Difference
shown by interiors to their superiors here.
II is true that the former do not pretend to
recognize auy Kind Of superiority, except
ing where they themselves are concerned,
but it is very trying at first to find how
faint is the line of demarcatlon separating
the 'nobOdies' from the "somebodies" in
this country. | know well that this is
merely want Of form, and that all well
born Americans are fully as conscious of
their advantages rs we are of ours, but
then wig not morally compel others to feel
so as well, inst ~ we do in Europe2 Serv-
ants and petty tradespeople are, without
any manner Of doubt, the least attractive
features here, and their insufferable way of
1mparting to yol their convictions that
10y nv ihAtN 80 HNNu ~ YOU - very Ol-
fensive
Another subject which arouses my
amazemcnt is the American children that /
have seen and the way in which they are
brought up. 10 me they appear utterly I'M
disciplined. and they seem to get too much
of their own way in everything. They eat
at all hours aud whatever they fancy, have
no regularity in anything and frequently
talk to their parents as were the latter not
worthy Of the most trifing sentiment of re
spect, and as If they were nothing but play
fellows of their own. The result of this sys-
TEN, or rasher lack Of any system, is that
these children are fragile, delicate looking
nervous and often very trying.
There Is yet another remark which /
would like 20 make. and that is with re-
gard to the ever spreading anglomania 80
prevalent here. Why should New Workers,
who have so much reason to be proud of
their country aud Of their nationality, seek
to shame the one and annihilate the other
by paltry imitation Of our very worst de
fects? Heaven knows that there are few
things more utterly inane and idiotic than
an English 'masher,' or rather, as they are
now called, an English exquisite They
do not exist, am happy to say, among the
higher classes OF British society. but are
generally found in the middle classes, or
still more frequently in the great confrerie'
of city men, such rs brokers, bank clerks,
etc, who fondly imagine that by assuming
these airs and graces they mislead the com
mon herd to take them for thorough paced
aristocgats. Now, why should Americans
attempt to do likewisei
"There is nothing more lovable than an
American who consents to remain what
God has made him-namely, an honest,
kind hearted gentlemanly, and, above all,
a manly man. But how can one help
Laughing at the poor creature one encoun-
tiers only too frequently in Fifth avenue
and also alssl in fashionable circles here,
who is physically only apoOr imitation Of
tailor's fashion engraving, and morally
an absolute nOnentityP
"You will think me hardly compliment
tary and certainly very ungrateful after
what have said about the charming way
in which I have been received here ~ I