The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-02-21
AMERICA AND AMERICANS.
now THEY ARE SAID TO CONTRfsT
WIN THE OLD WORLD.
A New Book on the Subject Shaving
and Typewritinz-Cau We Write Let
tiers The Church and tho HALLWAY
American Children = The Newspnpers.

from n French Point OF Flew," published by
Charles Scribncr's Sons, may Derchance surmiso
that the French point OF view Is either wholly
or In great mart n fake, and that somebody be-
sides a French traveller. enlightened by two
visits. is criticising us. Computations OF our
pensi ms in francs. the description OF tram
ears" and an occasional reference to old
Francois at home" will probably not dispel
this suspicion. II once formed. but II need not
disturb his .,erusal OF the book.
The alleged Frenchman. on arriving In New
York. 10 drawn in a carriage " by an lrishman
who throws aside his cigar only after he has
driven n block or two;" he finds many OF the
shops I'm the hands OF tho jews. and Del
monico'S vcritablc synagogue at tho dinner
hour" he finds tyne OF American girl with
"a frank Independence OF manner which would
have been suspicious In French woman"
and who permits every liberty but no IL
conse;" he discovers in tho dining room OF his
hotel "a gentleman with n sandy chin whisker
which protrudcs almost at right angles from
his chin" and also two ladies' dScolietS TO the
point OF embarrassment" he Is flung about in
the cable car at the Unlon square curve. and
he finds much. yet hot universal. vulearfty
and lack OF repose.
GOING YoR A SHAVE.
The phrase. going for shave" catches my
ear; am SO enlightened. These correct and
well.drcsscd young men. many OF them. arc
| ihavcd each day By n public barber. Some days
later 20 to the same shop to have my hair
cut, md there I see rows Of small porcelain
cups with the names OF their owners In gilt
| letters upon them. Some of the names are
those of men whom have already met. Young
| gentlemen come In. take of their collars and
| neck cloths. and their faces are daubed with
soap and rubbed by the hands Of tho barber
| and shaved. They are then wiped of with
| towel powdered. and. without any further
| eblutioas on their part, they no thence TO make
| love. or 10 kiss their wives or their children.
| for all / know. This seems to mo horribly
| dirty and painfully disaRreeabls. Many men.
| I am told. never COMPLETE their toilet at homo
in the morning. but are shaved downtown each
morning Their faces are paved and patted
and powdered 10y q negro. German. or an
| Italian. and so left for the day.
| WHAT TYPEwRITERs SIGNIFY.
| No one denies that In great Office there is
| . mass OF matter that can DO turned on quickly
| and properly 10y the use OF these ma hines.
| But there is q mania for their use here, and It
| IL considered 'busLess-like" and suggestive
! OF tremendous and rushing employ ment on tho
| part OF the user 10 employ them on all occa-
Mons. The telephone: too. jingles Its summons
amusing side of II all Is. that men most de,
voted TO these devices for saving time. Will
Frenchman. German. or Englishman would
permit Tor q moment.
machines that this most ingenious people have
devised, men come TO sit down. and chat ana
smoke by the half hour 0ften tle once
the ptesenc- OF this supposedly busy man. lie
cannot escape: and his time is consumed by
snces who have nothing, better % do. No
Frenchman. and no Englishn,an. holding pub,
lic office. no matter how important. would
| ~ a n civil note DrOflptly, and by the
hGnd Of a secretary; here. on the contrary.
one receives notes and letters. even OF per-
The great mass OF people In some sort OF so
ciety In America do not know how tn write
women holding prominent positions ana pos
ssssnE large wealth s you b no.sS g aqd
or ora a country shopkeepcr.
This, | think. Is partly the secret OF the
american love o. the peTr no on the , asle
time. as thcy think at least. nut II also saves
an exposure of their own ignorance.
AyisIr To BOSTON.
The leaders OF thought and action and fash
Ion are no longer TO be met with IN Boston
Tne great houses sre conducted by-in the
three o. four principal cases men and women
who are as grandfatherless as their friends
ambitious social set lack brillian"v. because
there Is n dearth Of variety, in the guests. .
/ attended four dinners. at which the small
est number of guests was twelve. tie largest
s. AND Or hSs aa a. ali ur row" was
man, and at three two men, who seemed to be
ysd to every dnnsT in h9si2a Tns S9G'r rs
T rick" md % TO bob" Vat" Tom" and
Jim" which Mt frat seemed an areotation.
ceased TO be that. and understood that IL wss
the natural outcome OF the charming familiar
| ity OF n country town. -,
The conversation. too. was much OF the time,
n conversation d cief. SO far as was concerned.
Tho petits noms correspondent to the petn,s
Which paee. OF hsr t a Tnss SS
travelled. they all 20 frequently TO New YORK,
and whom the conversation was directed 70
me. personally. there was some effort at orr
entation. but wher they talked TO one anot her
it was AWAY. in the pleasant and familiar Jar.
| party OF peasants ut a picnic. .
After mud attended to my own devotions
early in the morning was taken to on mo OF IN
were all owned. actually owned. by ;he wor-
shippers who can dispose OF them to their hei.s
assembled the different families marched in
procession to their sests-or pews as they are
the doors behind them, Tbs Is the high
water mark OF exclusiveness. so fur rs my ex-
'' Ndvertisements Of summer villas. of yachts
and OF secondhand carriages appear SIDE by by
sidc with the advertisements ~ centrally 10
Gated" pews u rent IN this or that fashiona
bic church. one man was pointed out TO me,
la Boston. who sub-lct pews In three ditieren!
them" as my friend expressed 1t.
AT Plymouth the Kindly gentleman who
day to an OK PLANTATION. for my benefit. OF the
dinerenco between the Pilgrims and the Pur
tans. IIe seemed to think that most OF the
planetary disturbances and many OF the Euro
pean complications OF the day might he allayet
II the difference between the Pilgrims aud
Puritans were kept In mind.
on THE HALFWAY TRAIN.
An imp of informal origin wends his way u =.
and down the aisle, Offering Ieewsnapers. maya
zines. fruit. chewing gum. smelling salts. cigars
enndy-which, teing interpreted, means bon
bons for sale, and shouting tho while at the
! top OF his lungs. lie pitches parcels OF chew
ing gum, boxes OF bon-bons. magazinen, ant
books into your lap. leaves them moment
! and then returns TO collect them again.
Apparently there IL no redress for the I'M
pertinenCe OF this youth. IT, elderly gen
tlemen chewing gum is given 10 hold. matron
receive copies of sporting journals. copiss o
Xula or Paul de Kock are given 10 maidens. T.
nurses with children are. NJ the discretion q
this young devil. xiv en apples or nuLs,or candy
for which the children cry when he returLs 4
: | collect them.
/ should much like 10 have the dissecting o
one traveller who At one OF these stop?ins
= | places, In seven minutes by my watch, at
two little bird dishes full OF raw oysters, fou
ham sandwiches, large section OF pie. whcl
| I'D NIB 10 al fiat w I'M