The New York herald., 1921-05-29

HOSPITABLE ENGLAND IN THE
SEVENTIES. The Diary of Young
American: 1s75-1s76. BY Richard
Henry Dana. Houghton. Mifiin Com
pany.
TIME climax of the Victorian
Age" was a fortunate time for
young American filled with
the best traditions of the first century
of the American Republic to visit
England under the kindest auspices
This was the good fortune of Richard
Henry Dana, the son of the man who
wrote Two Years Before the Mast"
who had just came out of Harvard
with an honorable record in scholar
ship and in the university boat. He
carried letters of introduction to many
distinguished persons in England from
his father, from Henry w. Longfellow
and from James Russell Lowell; and
his reception was bound TO be cordial.
The young man seems to have de-
served it; the keen edge of his youth
never wounded the sensibilities of the
highly placed people of whose homes
and family life he was made free. He
kept a diary, which is vivid and in
innate; the strong wind of his youth
full spirit blows through it, and in it's
pages. now published after half a CEN
fury. he carries a remarkably distinct
reflection of the impressions he re-
ceived of England and the English at
his highly impressionable period.
England was hospitable indeed to
him, and no wonder; his fathers book
had made almost as great a stir in
Great Britain as in the United States,
and the young mans own bearing of
modest self possession went far to
recommend him when once his status
had been fixed in the circles he visited,
by leaders in English life who had
either known his father personally,
through visits in the United States. or
had otherwise become familiar with
the name. In an Introductory note to
this very interesting volume he says:
"If this account of friendly kindnesses
by eminent persons in Great Britain
TO a young man from America should
help to bring those two countries into
closer union and confidence, and at
the same time entertain the reader,
purpose for which it was published"
Thus ne sets things down quite un-
affectedly and never simpers in the
formulas of many Chroniclers of their
own adventures in life. Incidentally
TO the notes made of one of his first
yisits-that to Lord Spencer's house
where he met a number of the best"
men and women in England he re-
marks:
My father told me, in meeting dis
tinguished Englishmen, to treat them
in the same way that l would treat
Mr.. Lowell Mr.. Longfellow, DR..
Holmes, Agassiz and others, with the
courtesy due from younger man to
an elder, to use titles as little as pos
sible, and to be perfectly natural and
at my ease and neither forthputting,
nor, on the other hand. to take the
lower seat, because in English society
the Bible parable will not hold. They
are not likely to say. Friend, go up
higher. | find this advice works per-
fectly and all is natural and easy, de-
lightful and intimate His initial
social perplexity, perhaps, was how to
get through heavy English luncheon
without a napkin; he remarks that in
later visits to England he found nap
kins in use at lunch. Also, footman
found it necessary to place his knife
back parallel with the fork. accord
ing to the British custom, when the
young man had unconsciously put it
above his place plate, as had been GUS
tomary in America.
The diary shows clearly how thor
oughly hospitable the English were to
this young man; it is a costly packed
record of calls and visits during his
first season in London, where they
took the greatest pains TO SHOW him
around; he attended the Parliamen-
tary debates and gravely tells what he
thought of them. in detail; his COM
ments on the personalities of the
many famous persons. men and wom-
en. whom he met are sometimes frank
almost to naivete, but throughout his
memoranda form a narrative of sin
gular interest and individual opinion.
mention of the famous people with
whom he dined or took luncheon, and
of whose houses he was made free for
a few hours or for extended visits,
would sound like a copying of pages
and pages from Burke and Debrett.
Sir William Harcourt took charge of
him for time. and Mr.. Gladstone,
Lord Frederick Cavendish and the
venerable Lord Russell, with their
families. had him with them repeat