The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1903-04-12
0m Tho [l6G@0a0py World.

, acpuisitive where the father was reck-
less and prodigal
IF my father does not set me a good
example," said the younger man on one
occasion, ''he at least provides me with
good excuse"
The best book of the week in promise
OF popularity is David Graham Phillips s
Golden Fleece" the adventures of a
fortune hunting earl in America. Mr..
Phillips has been most daring in giving
his picture of a certain phase of social
life in this country and people of New
York. Washington, Boston, and Chicago
and will have no difficulty in recognizing
some of the social leaders of these cities
as characters of the story. 1t is not
because the story is primarily satire,
o. because of any scandal in the story
that readers will like the book; it mere
~ gives an amusing picture of our
"seething, sensational, social life The
Earl of rockingham, distinguished,
but poverty stricken member of English
nobility, comes to this country in search
of a rich wife Thus far the picture is
ordinary, but no farther Mr. Phillips
has made his Earl entirely frank in his
purpose and the American characters
thoroughly understand his mission. More
than this American high society puts
forth it's best for the Earl's inspection
The New York millionaire heiress who
first acquires the Earl throws him over
because she has subsequently fallen in
love with young American. In Boston
the Earl almost succeeds and the story
of his defeat is curiously interesting
Then he tries Washington wins daugh-
ter of a rich Senator who decides that
he can afford the price of the title. His
adventures terminate in Chicago with a
real love affair after another temporary
engagement and the readers is left with
the feeling that after all, the Earl is
not such a bad fellow and that American
society is probably more to blame for
such ridiculous turns OF the marriage
market than are the titled foreigners
who are attracted to our shores. char
acteristc bit of the story IS the view OF
Washington aristocracy. The EarIs dim
ner companion speaks:
.'Do you see that intellectual looking
man with the beard on the other side
of the table-next to Ysobel Ballantyne?s
1.-The surly chap"
'Yes-and he's surly because mamma
has made a dreadful mistake. She's put
him two below the place his rank en-
titles him to. He'll act like a savage
all evening"
Fancy. What a small matter to fly
into a rage over
"a small matter for large man. but
a large matter for a small man. Some
cf11l1 IL q
much vainer than women!
"Why do you say that?"
Because of what I've seen in Wash
ington. They say the women started this
craze for precedence. l don't know
whether that's so or not. But i do know
that in the three years I've been out,
I've found the men worse than the Wo-
men. And those things look SO much
petticr in a man, too"
But / thought there wasn't any rank
in this country.
80 / thought was educated in
France / believe in rank and all that
1t seems to me absurd to talk about
equality. But l despise this silly squab-
BILE over little places that last only "a
few years at most. AS Mr.. Brough-
ton was saying-you know Mr.. Brough-
TONI"
"You mean the Second Secretary at our
Embassy
Yes. He said to me only last night;
America has an aristocracy just as we
have, but gets from it all the evils and
none of the good, all the pettiness none
of the dignity and sense of response
bility.'
But they tell me it's different-out
West
81 don't know. | can only speak of the
East-especially of Washington. There
isn't a capital in Europe or Asia, the
diplomats say, with so elaborate sys-
tenn of rank and precedence as we have.
Why. do you know, it's so bad that the
fifteen hundred dollar a year clerks and
their families have a society of their
own between the circles of those who
get eighteen hundred and those who get
twelve hundred. And they'd rather die
than mix with those who get less than
they do"
Really! Really, now!"
"And anything like good time is al
most impossible. It's precedence, pre-
cedence everywhere, always. You can
entertain informally.
straight packet"
I'm going abroad next year, and am
never coming back, If l can help it. I'm
| going where at least there's real rank
| TO get excited about. I'll go with 4sobel
| ana her mother-unless Ysobel decides
to marry on this side"
rockingham was internally agitated
bat gave no sign of it.
shes marrying either Mr.. Broughton
o. that handsome Italian sitting next to
Mrs. Balantyne--the Prince di Ronti-
vogli."
/ "Ah." said rockingham. And to him
| self, Just my rotten luck"