Over Here: Impressions of America by a British officerMacQuarrie, Hector
History
Over Here: Impressions of America by a British officer
MacQuarrie, Hector
United States -- Description and travel; United States -- Social life and customs -- 1865-1918; World War, 1914-1918 -- United States
There is, of course, no reason in the world why an English fellow should
not marry an American girl if he is fond of her and she will have him.
But it is a little difficult. Sometimes a Britisher arrives here with a
title and is purchased by a young maiden with much money, possibly
several millions, and he takes her back to Blighty. Some American girls
are foolish. The people perhaps dislike her accent and her attitude
towards things in general. He does not know it, of course, but she has
not been received by the very nicest people in her own city, not because
they despise her, but merely because they find the people they have
known all their lives sufficient. You see it is a little difficult for
the child. In America she has been, with the help of her mother perhaps,
a social mountaineer. Social mountaineering is not a pleasing experience
for anyone, especially in America, but we all do it a little, I suppose.
It is a poor sort of business and hardly worth while. When this child
arrives in England she may be definitely found wanting in the same way
that she may have been found wanting in American society, and she is
naturally disappointed and annoyed. When annoyed she will take certain
steps that will shock the vicar's wife, and possibly she will elope with
the chauffeur, all of which will be extremely distressing, though it
will be the fellow's own fault. Of course, she may love him quite a lot,
but she will probably never understand him. I am not sure that she will
always be willing to suffer. Why should she?
IV
"VERY'S LIGHTS"
BETHLEHEM, December 20, 1917.
I am steadily becoming a movie "fan," which means that when Douglas
Fairbanks, or Charlie Chaplin, or other cheerful people appear on the
screen at the Lorenz theatre at Bethlehem I appear sitting quite close
up and enjoying myself. It is all very interesting. One sort of gets to
know the people, and indeed to like them. The movies have taken up quite
a large part of our lives in this burgh. One has got to do something,
and if one is a lone bachelor, sitting at home presents but few
attractions. The people in film land are all interesting.
There is the social leader. I always love her. Her magnificent and
haughty mien thrills me always, as with snowy hair, decent jewels and
what not, she proceeds to impress the others in film land. I am not
going to talk about the vampire.
Film stories can be divided into three classes--the wild and woolly, the
crazy ones, as we call them here, and the society dramas with a human
interest; and, I forgot, the crook stories.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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