The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-05-21
An English Critic of America

| Mr.. William Archer, in his recent book
on American life. takes view of this
! country somewhat different from that OF
some other English critics who have trav
| eled here. He Is. generally speaking, en-
thusiastic in his praise Of things Ameri-
can; but one gently satiric observation
which he makes on hospitality is worth
| the attention OF the public. He says:
The one drawback to American hospitality is
that il is apt to be too profusc l have more
than had to offer mild protest against
/ being entertained by hard working brother
, journalist scale that would hive behtted
+ millionaire. The possibility of returning the
! compliment in kind affords the canny Scot but
poor consolation 4 dinner three times more
lavish and expensive than you want i not sweet
oned by the thought that you may n turn give
your host dinner three times more expensive
ard lavish than he wants. Both parties, ON THIS
system, suffer in digestion and in pocket; while
only Delmonico is the gamer. 1t seems to me,
the whole, that in this country the million
aire is too commonly allowed to fix the standard
OF expenditure. Society would not be less but
mere agreeable if, instead of always enuating
the splendors of Lucullus, people now and then
studied the art OF Horatian frugality. And note
that in club life, if the plutocrat sets the stan
dard OF expenditure, the aristocrat looks to the
trimming of the servants Their. ohsequiousness
is almost painful. There is not the slightest trace
ncrs, or their speech"
A certain type Of American is prone to
just this mistake-for it is a blunder to
give a guest style of entertainment be-
yond ones ordinary means. in order not
to be thought stingy or lacking in knowl-
edge Of the world. Mrs. Harriet Beecher
Stowe made some sensible remarks on this
cub urha
of elaborate and expensive dinners and
balls was newly imported from France.
She said that what foreigners wished to
see in America was the everyday life of
its people, and not bad imitation of Eu-
ropean manners; and she contended that If
a man of moderate means wished to enter
tain foreign visitor. the really hospitable
thing to do was to take him into the midst
of the home life, to give him a three-course
dinner il that was what the family usually
had, with some small elaboratsness In the
way of best china and linen, perhaps. but
without any extravagant outlay; and to al
low him to see how the household life of
this country differs from that of his own.
Many foreigners come here with a genuine
admiration for some Of our traditions and
customs. and they do not like 1t very much
when Americans, either through affectation
or mistaken conviction. speak siightingly
of the very things of which the visitors
think they should be so proud.
touch of this appears in the writings
of Mr.. Archer. He is evidently disappointed
to find so little democratic spirit among
weli-to-do Americans. Apparently he ex-
pected to find the American servant an ef- |
ficient. polite and well-trained person. but |
self-respecting and intelligent; and it is
both a surprise and disappointment to |
him to find American millionaires rabidiy |
anxious to reproduce in their domestics the |
manners. customs. and general character !
OF the European turnkey. He has been led |
to suppose that the Declaration OF indie |
pendence meant something, and is dis |
mayed at the discovery that SO far from
assuming that all men are free and equal.
many Americans seem bent on proving
that they are essentially superior to their
neighbors, not only by education, but by
. 4, r;-.r 90 ri