The Cape Girardeau Democrat. (Cape Girardeau, Mo.) 1876-1909, 1894-03-17
AMERICAN SOCIAL LIFE.
An English Critic Records Her Imprss-
sIons of Ua-

An English Critic Records Her impress
sIons of Us
English people seem never to tire Oh
writing about America The latest
criticism is published in the Queen over
the signature of Harrie f. Mills 1t
runs in part as follows: There are in
fact five great divisions comprising the
American people. At the head Is the
intellectual class and following are the
fashionable, religious, domestic and
SERVANT classes, each being sub-divlded
into numerous circles or cliques who
cling together ciannishly, resent the
intrusion of other ''sets" and refuse to
tolerate unrecommended outsiders
The intellectual class has its fountain
head at Boston, and the Puritan peo-
pie, now disciples OF Ralph Waldo En-
erson and versed in all the arts and
sciences, endeasOr to rise above the
sordid standards of wealth and fashion
to the plane of the true philosopher.
No doubt many people in other coun-
tries would be amused and Interested
in the study of the habits of the New
Englanders, who arc descendant of the
English Puritaus and who have re-
tanned their high standard of simplic-
ity, morality and religion and dis
carded their prejudlces and fanati-
cisms. In the most obscure agricult-
ural districts, where the yankee twang
and peculiarities of speech are pain
fully conspicuous, one will fnd the in
habitan S not only versed in the intri-
cate political questions, but well &C
ouainted with the works of the best
English authors and familiar with the
current literature Of the day. From
sunrise to sunset, in summer and fall,
the Young New Englander works,
stints and saves in order that he may
spend the winter months in study at
an adjacent college town" And
when the fields have been CLEANED OF
their scant productions and the rocky
soil is covered with snow-when frost
sparkles from trees and window panes
and the family gather round fire OF
cracking logs-one will find amid en-
suing conversations keen wit, an
originality of criticism, a versatility
and an evidence of thought that is
akin TO genius.
Just imagine young girls paying
their college tuition with wages earned
during vacation as mattresses at large
hotels among mountain and seaside re-
sorts. Hundreds of them do this with
ont losing a jot of their dignity or low
ering themselves in the eyes OF their
friends Many young men utilize old
dress suits in the capacities of walters
while founding their future career.
They are the most faithful and
conscientious people in performing
their duties, and many hotel proprie-
tors advertise as an attraction that
student walters will see that guests
are well served" and exclude the serv-
ant classes from their dining rooms.
Wealth makes little, IL any, distinc-
ton in the intellectual classes In
deed. the daughters and sons OF the
rich are furnished with facilities for
developing their talents after gradua.
tion, and, whether it be a profession,
an art or n trade toward which a mind
tends, one or the other must be studied
with the view that self-support would
be possible should reverses of fortune
make it necessary. Idleness is sin,
ignorance lamentable, fashion-unless
artistic--has no merit, religion must be
in a measure scientific, cleanliness OF
mind is as necessary as the observance
of laws of hygiene-N. Y. Advertiser.