Wauwatosa news. [volume] (Wauwatosa, Wis.) 1900-1948, 1909-07-09
American Manners Abroad.

forth.-COllier's Weekly
~O-sO-
American Manners Abroad.
Whether American or English women
have the better manners, or whether the
American womans manners are as
general thing as good as the English
woman's manners, is a question not easy
to settle, some critics say, because com
PARSONS are always made in Europe.
the number of we'll bred English women
visiting America being comparatively
small.
The other day a New Yorker who has
spent much time in Europe said that
when moving about in England and on
the continent, following routes much
used by Americans, she could tell Eng
fish and American women apart every
time by their manners, even were there
no distinguishing features of dress and
speech. Asked to be more explicit she
said: i am not speaking of women of
the English nobility or of the very rich
American class. but of the fairly we'll
educated and refined women of either
country who travel about comfortably.
but not at the top scale of luxury and
who are accounted ladies wherever
they go.
LAS every one knows, in the tourist
season there are three or four American
women to every English and Scotch
woman in the railroad cars, boats, hotels
and pensions of Europe, and for this
reason | am sometimes surprised that
the individuality of the English woman
is always so evident and that so often
she seems to OutpOint Americans in DO
likeness in spite of the known fact that
well bred English women as a class are
more conservative, more reserved and
harder to get acquainted with than well
bred Americans. Strangely enough this
n ff a ~ al NTrnN
travelling. The English woman's good
manners are the first thing noticed.
For instance, stopping over at small
hotel in Switzerland where, as is Gus
tomary in such a place, many guests
were seated at one table, two English
women came to breakfast after half a
dozen other women guests, mostly Amer
leans. were seated. Each as she took
her seat gave a civil and comprehensive
bow to her neighbors. 1t was my first
trip on the continent and | was surprised
at the English women's action. The
rest of Us had struggled in in twos and
threes without recognizing the others, as
we were all strangers.
Now / know that this is an English
Interpretation of good manners. and that
it is the exception to find a well bred
English woman or Scotch woman who
does not bow graciously when sitting
down at or when leaving a public table
Americans on the other hand make no
attempt to do anything of the sort, sup
posing they may have not met the per-
sons at the table before or even if they
have Travelled many miles in their com
pany.
I'VE Americans have a way of sizing
up people by the cut of their clothes.
their swagger or their accent, and if
these don't please US we simply refuse
to see them This is more obvious when
we get on the other side than il is at
home The English wOman's civil, all
inclusive bow is often put down by
Americans not used TO travelling to a
former meeting with some member of the
party. In railway compartments, steam
boat. table d'hotes and other places the
civil SALVATION of the English, Scotch or
Irish lady is a feature which strangers
pleasant, and it shows these women to
excellent advantage.
THE English woman also appears 10
the greater advantage in a railroad sta
ton when TO catch train is q question
of seconds. An English women will lose
train without losing her temper or APP
pearing the least rufiled. In fact, ! can
not recall ever seeing or hearing an Eng
fish woman get really excited over catch
ing a train. Americans, If spTlniinC and
knocking down anything and everything
that gets in their way viii do IT, simply
refuse to lose a train Losing trains does
not agree with the American tempera-
ment and if it's a question whether train
or manners mUst be sacrificed there Is no
hesitation.
''In like circumstances English women