Omaha daily bee., 1910-01-02
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN US
Irish ~DrRmatist Yeats Contrasts the
EnElishmnn and the Ameri-
can.

TIL English and Americans both chase
the dollar. The contrast lies in what they
do with IL when It is caught. The English
nan saves and husbands his dollar; the
American spends 1t. Curiosity impels the
American; he would eXhaustively test life
and see what it is made Of: curiosity is
his form of the primal and powerful in
stihct of growth. The Englishman has not
this appetite, he is born blase. Have not
his ancestors long ago discovered the van
ity of life and its pleasures? He is supe-
Iior to these allurements and places his
happiness in a sort of solidified egoism,
solicited ard enlarged by the conscious
ness of unsunned heaps laid away in stocks
and shares and sound business invest
ments.
The Americans have no manners; they
say so themselves in a confession which is
half ~penitent and half proud. More circum-
spect even than his polite neighbors the
French is the EEglishman on the subject
of his manners. They are not good. but
that is not because he has not taken great
pains, or that ne has any doubts as to his
complete success, but because his ideals are
wrong. The Americans uo-manners have
an imaginative basis, are, in fact, a look
ing back and a poetical~ remembrance Of
the time when they were settlers in IA
new land. fighting Indians and wild beasts
and beset with incredible dangers and diff
f~iculties, so that everyone had to be rough
az well as nelghborly-their r~oughness the
Ankindly side Of a real kindness-and often
fine greater the r%oughness the greater and
Nmore efficient the blindness Your genuine
American remembers the b~ackswoods; his
fGNRers befor, him have told the story;
Ia Is NJ OH M. ~, r,,-t ,,,ntto,l. .-t.
he puts all his poetry into action: his siren
nous Puritan ethics despIslng as eliminate
The strange -contemplatiye and willful ways
of artist and poet and musician. Manners
as a branch OF the fine arts he has not
but he is indeed an obtuse observer who
does not soon discover behind the no
manners the old spirit Of backwoods help
fulness. The European, perhaps, has the
advantage in the drawing room, but for
a real emergency it is better to rely on
an American-et least It was so stated L.
me by a woman who said she had tried
both men.
Attentively watching the American and
the English in their behavior | discover
u subtle contrast. The American seeks
opportunity to do you a service. while II
Is the pride OF tho Englishman To be
served. Service is honorable" was the
motto OF medieval Europe, proud in its
hrmility. To serve. TO render contiuua.
service at the call Of affection. fidelity,
gratitude, family allegiance. loyalty to
leader, love Nfor your sweetheart, rever-
ence for age or weakness, to serve even
for services sake was the dream of ro-
mantle poetry and ancient chivalry. Proud
selfish reverses this and pro.
nounces service to be mental. Can il be-
that herein Amer.cd is medieval and Eng.
land the modern, up-to-date nation? Tn,
peasant races OF Europe whom change ha,
not touched may be brought with him Il
the new world this noble fragment of al
ancient world, Perhaps we may all return
to IL. Civilization has often had to retrac'
its footsteps.
In the English home the husband rules
in America IL Is the wife. l know the poe
Milton thought the wife should be a prett!
and pleasing drudge; l know that the Puri
tan husband liked his wife to be a drudg
and preferred her plain featured, and
know that French gallantry likes her I
be a subtle wanton; 4 know also that VIII
liam the ConQueror rogged with a stirru
leather the young lady Of his choice whor
he afterward married. These are grea
authorities. but what have the primal In
stincts TO tell US? What do the love lyric
say Interrogate a generous young ma
vi any country, having his first anu strong