New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1904-04-02
IN ENGLISHM4N'S NOTES.
Sir u. Burne-Jones Observes
America.
Observes

+,A1T1ANA, AZ nail. Dg CIR EIllAp
Burne-Jones, Bart Illustrated by the Author
l6fno PIP. pa. d. Appleton Sc Co.
The author Of this book spent year In the
United States. and has herein set down the re-
suits Of his casual observations OF American
life and society. He has necessarily dealt only
with the surface Of things, approaching them
entirely, he tells us. from the point OF view OF
the Englishman interested in noting differences
in custom and manner. His reports agree with
those Of many other transient foreign visitors
in New-Yor< Newport and Chicago-and he.
too, We regret to say, has been begued by
natives of a humorous turn into giving Gre
dence TO joyously absurd tales as to American
ways
The chief impression OF New-York which
the visitor carried away with him was Of
course. that Of frightful hurry and restless
hustle His criticism Of the miseries and degra-
dations of streetcar travel is a natural Sc
quence, and prepares the reader to look for
the usual complaints of too-prevalent ice water
and overheated houses. But the complaints are
absent-the author never found the houses too
hot. and he had not been here twenty-four
hours before he was afflicted with a raging
thirst which nothing earth but ice water
and that in no measured quantity. was capa-
bic Of assuaging." He, therefore, arrived at
the conclusion that the American craving for
ice water was natural inevitable, and to the lib
tlcllg AilAOISEN- ne suggests JDaL IL may De
due TO a lack OF humidity in the atmosphere
The chessboard plan which New-York is
built does not commend Itself to him; but he
says an approving word Of the refusal Of the
authorities TO lease a huge boarding in Fifth
ave, outside the Public Library, now be-
ing built, for advertising purposes though the
income they would derive from this source
would be immense" That last clause is cal
culated TO tickle Father Knickerbocker just
now. The absence Of signs Of poverty In the
streets is noted by the Englishman. as is also
the remarkable cleanliness of the population
AS for the attire Of New-York women. he de-
dressed one In any rank OF life. ITO dress
We'll" he adds, and make the very best OF her
resources seems a gift peculiar TO the Ameri-
can woman / imagine a well dressed Ameri-
woman is the best dressed woman in the
world" The splendid carriage" OF the fair
American may be accounted for, he thinks, by
her sense OF independence and equality. Amer
lea, he holds. lis the land for women-they are
queens Of the situation all round"
A constant talking about money IS chroni,,led
by the visitor:
In snatches OF conversation caught in the
streets the restaurants and the cars, the con-
tinual cry is always "dollars-doilars-dolla
You hear it on all sides perpetually. and money
does truly here. as politics in England, seem
10 be an end in itself, instead OF a means to
end
What is there. one wonders that these peo-
pie possibly gain from the acquisition of
money in any way proportionate in their minds
TO the importance Of the process Of getting It?
Indeed. il does seem as If the lives of most
IN America had for their sole aim and
object The making OF money. 1t must be so.
otherwise many of them would not go on
tolling long after they have amassed huge fort
unes. II must be the love of the game that
keeps them at IT. very often 1t certainly , isn't
ability TO enjoy this money when IT is made.
Again and again one sees or hears of men in
the prime OF life breaking down in health or
dying pTematurely, as direct result Of this
frantic application TO business, and,
locker, one can't help thinking. is the game
worth the Gambler The women seem better
able TO cope with the situation. and find diff
fculty in spending the money their fathers
and husbands have spoiled their lives in
curing And as a rule, the men are content
that this should be There is something
very remarkable, something q bit pathetic.
about the attitude of American men to their
woTrlenfolk. They are so anxious for them TO
have a good time"-the good time that they
cannot and will not arrange for themselves.
Their chiy2lry and courtesy 10 women Is very
pretty. too
The author is very severe upon New-York So
ciety as a whole. though he finds indvid-
Ual members agreeable. Here is Of his
typical butterflies. a young whom he
met at a dinner party:
You're an Englishman aren't your 1 don't
like Englishmeni" These were the first words
with which she greeted me after INV formal
presentation. Il hope you don't expect me 10
grcvel before YOU" she added amiably; and,
having put me perfectly at my ease by these
tactiul remarks. she proceeded TO relate how
she had once met another Englishman-some
peers son-at dance somewhere and how
she had told him that he knew nothing OF dane
ing, and according TO her own account had
been deliberately and systematically 6iscourte-
Gus TO him the whole evening simply on the
ground Of his nationality.
Restlessness. frivolity. had manners a lack
of serious thought-these are the accusations
which the author brings against American So
ciety. They are conventional enough. Prob
ably the gentleman from Mars arriving with