Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and ConductCorelli, Marie
Religion
Free Opinions, Freely Expressed on Certain Phases of Modern Social Life and Conduct
Corelli, Marie
English essays -- 20th century; Great Britain -- Social life and customs -- 20th century
British sisters in the Bounder line are in these places, ready to give
her a helping hand--but one _is_ occasionally startled and in a manner
sorry to discover her making herself at home among certain “exclusive”
people who are chiefly distinguished for their good-breeding, culture
and refinement. In one thing, however, we can take much comfort, and
this is, that whatever the American Bounder, Male or Female, may
purchase or otherwise insidiously obtain in the Old World, neither
he nor she can ever secure respect. Driven to bay as the Britisher
may be by consummate and pertinacious lying, he can and does withhold
from the liars his honest esteem. He may sell a valuable manuscript or
picture to a “bounding” Yankee, out of sheer necessitous circumstance,
but he will never be “friends” with the purchaser. He will call him
“bounder” to the crack of doom, and Doomsday itself will not alter that
impression of him.
It may be, and it is I think, taken for granted that America itself
is very glad to get rid of its “bounders.” It regards them with as
much shame and distress as we feel when we see certain specimens of
“travelling English” disporting themselves upon the Continent in the
’Arry and Jemima way. We always fervently hope that our Continental
neighbours will not take these extraordinary roughs as bona-fide
examples of the British people, and in the same way America trusts all
the nations of Europe not to accept their “Bounders” as examples of
the real pith and power of the United States. The American People are
too great, too broad-minded, sane, and thorough, not to wish to shake
off these _aphides_ on their rose of life. They watch them “clearing
out” for “Yew-rope” with perfect satisfaction. Said a charming American
woman to me the other day--“What a pity it is that English people
_will_ keep on receiving Americans here who would not be tolerated for
a moment in New York or Boston society! It surprises us very greatly.
Sometimes indeed we cannot help laughing to see the names of women
figuring among your ‘haute noblesse’ who would never get inside a
decent house anywhere in the States. But more often we are sorry that
your social ‘leaders’ are so easily taken in!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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