The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1913-08-14

wv entertained in this country by
representatives Of US, as
people, We are more or less interested
III the opinions which they express
Of us, when they return to their ma
tive land. And it is too we'll known
that the average foreigner, of breed
ing and birth, thinks little of our
standing, in regard to manners.
When an American leaves his own
soil, he also has opinions when he re-
turns, even though he may have only
mixed with the common folk, and
taken his entertainment at hotels.
There are some Of us so intensely
proud of the fact that we are Ameri-
cans, we take the keenest pleasure in
making all those whom we meet in
our travels, speedily acquainted with
the fact--bHt any extra effort on our
part is unnecesSary-We are too east
1y identified.
AS people, We are the Worst-man-
nered, the most Over-dressed and the
most blatant Of any people that go
about looking at the sights of other
countries, and we are-collectively-
the parents of the worst behaved, the
most insolent and the most over
dressd set of children of any people
on earth.
This is broad statement, but OBJ
servatiOn has proven it, and it is a
source of keen regret to some of us
that it is so.
The French peasant is the quietest
and the most refined of any who
travel, and the English OF any class
run close second; the latter, of the
middle and higher class seem able
to surround themselves with an air
and a manner which is at once a pro-
lection and a distinction. The child
rem of both these people are taught,
seemingly, that their first duty in
life is to look after themselves and
each other ;nd to defer to the par
ents and elders in all things. They
have repOse and an air of observa-
ton which impresses one with the
idea that they get a great deal Of
enjoyment out Of life, that they are
surrounded with tenderness and af-
lection, and that they leave to the
elders all the decision in the matter
of food, clothing and pleasures.
In contrast to these, the American
child is noisy, officiOus, insolent, die
tatorial and overbearing-an the
amazing thing is to note the manner
in which the parents defer to it. 1t
was amazing to note children of
twelve and fifteen, in dining car and
hotel, ordering the meals for the par
ents, and arguing when objection was
raised to anything they had ordered.
It was the children who planned the
days outing, the places to be visited,
and the manner of visiting. This
was not the case once, but several
times, and in each the matter seemed
to be of long standing, insofar as
the parents acquiescence was con-
cerned.
Quebec, one of the quaintest and
most beautiful of all the cities Of
Canada, presents the anomaly of a
people who scarcely. talk the
language of the people under whose
flag they live; French is the adopted
mode in nearly all the business
places, and the English seem to have
adapted themselves to it. The home
life of these people, French and Eng
lish, is ideal. There are, of course
some very wealthy people there, but
the home life is possible to all, and
the number OF small, welf-kept
houses in and about the city is a de-
light to contemplate.
In the farming districts, the farms
bloom like gardens, and many
Southern farmer would turn up his
nose at the little farms, on which
intensive farming is shown in the