The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19
Class
Distinctions in
England

in tho neighhorhood sent in regrets. II was
horrible modification TO the KS, who had
since then drawn completely apart.
And what about the son., | wanted To
know, having noticed a snGularly attrao-
tive child with them at church,
My friend observed that there WAS the
main trouble y was such stupid, selfish
brute that he utterly refused to try and
save his boy.
The mother'l family. it appears. offered
10 take the lad. give him their name to
bring him up as their own-for handsome
money consideration condition that
he have no further intercourse with his
father feeling. if some such precautions
we're taken. there was hope he might yet
be gentleman.
But no. always obstinate as pig, X in
sisted upon keeping the child in his own
class, and some said he did not mean to
even send his son up for the army That
charge the Colonel refused to believe. for
Of course putting the youngster into good
regiment and giving him plenty of money
to spend would certainly help matters,
And so. summarized, "the best look
ing, ceverest, manifest man in this com
munity is abhorred and thrown out like
n criminal because he owns an auction
mart and ranks with tradespeople
Il notice he heads all your subscription
lists for village Improvement and church
restoration that he writes everybody's
public speeches and really runs this entire
show even IL he does sell cattle. You freely
use and freely abuse him.
We'll. now. will you. who are so keen on
social distinctions, explain 70 me why the
same people who refuse 10 recognize the
KS will grovel before an American nobody
married to an English earl; We constantly
send over the scum Of our country rich
scum, grant you--and it il welcomed in
circles of English society it could never hope
to penetrate in the United States.
Tell me what it means, for am often
confused over here at the constant talk Of
class honor, class obligations, pride Of
birth. &c. and yet watch you take Yankee
vulgarans to your bosom with rapturous
enthusiasm"
At this TRADE the Colonel bhlshed like a
girl and suffered and stammered so yio-
lently that | declared he was trying to
cover up his ignorance
You don't know why ! ieered.
'Oh. yes but do. he insisted. only We
are such good friends 1t never you'd do for
me to tell you.
assured and treasured him that no mat
ter what the explanation might be prom
ised to be neither injured nor angered.
Even then he had to be cQaxed. and my
curiosity reached high pressure long before
he could be induced to make clear the dif
ference existing between an underlined
Briton and Yankee to match
Expressing his views as delicatey ms
possibl q. the Colonel said that in the first
place King Edwards pronounced penchant
for Americans had done wonders to adj
vance them socially. The King had made
them fashionable and always turned deaf
ear when any ono tried to criticise Uncle
Sans offspring.
He explained by the way that It was ore
cause Of colonial bitterness that Austria
liana. Canadians. in fact overseas Brtons
generally. were invariably made to give
place 70 the all couquering Yankee. Co
lonial" was recognized as a term Of re-
proach as regards accent, dress. manners
&o. whereas the loudest voiced and most
bizarre New Yorker or Chicagoan was
accepted and applauded as original
And, then with an apprehensiYe air
you see, We in England realize quite
clearly that certain direrentiations do
exist in your countIymen. There are I'm
douhiedly tall Americans and short Ameri-
cans. Americans who are rich and Americans
who are poor, and it is even said that some
Yankees are sharper than others; but when
it. comes TO a question of family, birth or
social rank alas, dear lady you are all Of
you simply Americans. Between what
you call high class and low class the dis
tnction IL too subtle 70 he graspcd by
the British understanding. | myself fear
il is an indetermnate quantity.
Az AMERICAN WOMAS.