incompetent　Irish　and　negro　〃help。〃　　There　were　no　bells　in　the
  rooms；　which　simplified　the　service；　and　nothing　could　be　ordered
  out　of　meal　hours。
  The　material　defects　in　board　and　lodging　sink；　however；　into
  insignificance　before　the　moral　and　social　unpleasantness　of　an
  establishment　such　as　this。　　All　ages；　all　conditions；　and　all
  creeds　are　promiscuously　huddled　together。　　It　is　impossible　to
  choose　whom　one　shall　know　or　whom　avoid。　　A　horrible　burlesque　of
  family　life　is　enabled；　with　all　its　inconveniences　and　none　of　its
  sanctity。　　People　from　different　cities；　with　different　interests
  and　standards；　are　expected　to　〃chum〃　together　in　an　intimacy　that
  begins　with　the　eight　o'clock　breakfast　and　ends　only　when　all
  retire　for　the　night。　　No　privacy；　no　isolation　is　allowed。　　If　you
  take　a　book　and　begin　to　read　in　a　remote　corner　of　a　parlor　or
  piazza；　some　idle　matron　or　idiotic　girl　will　tranquilly　invade
  your　poor　little　bit　of　privacy　and　gabble　of　her　affairs　and　the
  day's　gossip。　　There　is　no　escape　unless　you　mount　to　your　ten…by…
  twelve　cell　and　sit　（like　the　Premiers　of　England　when　they　visit
  Balmoral）　on　the　bed；　to　do　your　writing；　for　want　of　any　other
  conveniences。　　Even　such　retirement　is　resented　by　the　boarders。
  You　are　thought　to　be　haughty　and　to　give　yourself　airs　if　you　do
  not　sit　for　twelve　consecutive　hours　each　day　in　unending
  conversation　with　them。
  When　one　reflects　that　thousands　of　our　countrymen　pass　at　least
  one…half　of　their　lives　in　these　asylums；　and　that　thousands　more
  in　America　know　no　other　homes；　but　move　from　one　hotel　to　another；
  while　the　same　outlay　would　procure　them　cosy；　cheerful　dwellings；
  it　does　seem　as　if　these　modern　Arabs；　Holmes's　〃Folding　Bed…
  ouins；〃　were　gradually　returning　to　prehistoric　habits　and　would
  end　by　eating　roots　promiscuously　in　caves。
  The　contradiction　appears　more　marked　the　longer　one　reflects　on
  the　love　of　independence　and　impatience　of　all　restraint　that
  characterize　our　race。　　If　such　an　institution　had　been　conceived
  by　people　of　the　Old　World；　accustomed　to　moral　slavery　and　to　a
  thousand　petty　tyrannies；　it　would　not　be　so　remarkable；　but　that
  we；　of　all　the　races　of　the　earth；　should　have　created　a　form　of
  torture　unknown　to　Louis　XI。　or　to　the　Spanish　Inquisitors；　is
  indeed　inexplicable！　　Outside　of　this　happy　land　the　institution　is
  unknown。　　The　PENSION　when　it　exists　abroad；　is　only　an　exotic
  growth　for　an　American　market。　　Among　European　nations　it　is
  undreamed　of；　the　poorest　when　they　travel　take　furnished　rooms；
  where　they　are　served　in　private；　or　go　to　restaurants　or　TABLE
  D'HOTES　for　their　meals。　　In　a　strictly　continental　hotel　the
  public　parlor　does　not　exist。　　People　do　not　travel　to　make
  acquaintances；　but　for　health　or　recreation；　or　to　improve　their
  minds。　　The　enforced　intimacy　of　our　American　family　house；　with
  its　attendant　quarrelling　and　back…biting；　is　an　infliction　of
  which　Europeans　are　in　happy　ignorance。
  One　explanation；　only；　occurs　to　me；　which　is　that　among　New
  England　people；　largely　descended　from　Puritan　stock；　there　still
  lingers　some　blind　impulse　at　self…mortification；　an　hereditary
  inclination　to　make　this　life　as　disagreeable　as　possible　by　self…
  immolation。　　Their　ancestors；　we　are　told　by　Macaulay；　suppressed
  bull　baiting；　not　because　it　hurt　the　bull；　but　because　it　gave
  pleasure　to　the　people。　　Here　in　New　England　they　refused　the　Roman
  dogma　of　Purgatory　and　then　with　complete　inconsistency；　invented
  the　boarding…house；　in　order；　doubtless；　to　take　as　much　of　the　joy
  as　possible　out　of　this　life；　as　a　preparation　for　endless　bliss　in
  the　next。
  CHAPTER　15　…　A　False　Start
  HAVING　had；　during　a　wandering　existence；　many　opportunities　of
  observing　my　compatriots　away　from　home　and　familiar　surroundings
  in　various　circles　of　cosmopolitan　society；　at　foreign　courts；　in
  diplomatic　life；　or　unofficial　capacities；　I　am　forced　to
  acknowledge　that　whereas　my　countrywoman　invariably　assumed　her　new
  position　with　grace　and　dignity；　my　countryman；　in　the　majority　of
  cases；　appeared　at　a　disadvantage。
  I　take　particular　pleasure　in　making　this　tribute　to　my　〃sisters〃
  tact　and　wit；　as　I　have　been　accused　of　being　〃hard〃　on　American
  women；　and　some　half…humorous　criticisms　have　been　taken　seriously
  by　over…susceptible　women　…　doubtless　troubled　with　guilty
  consciences　for　nothing　is　more　exact　than　the　old　French　proverb；
  〃It　is　only　the　truth　that　wounds。〃
  The　fact　remains　clear；　however；　that　American　men；　as　regards
  polish；　facility　in　expressing　themselves　in　foreign　languages；　the
  arts　of　pleasing　and　entertaining；　in　short；　the　thousand　and　one
  nothings　composing　that　agreeable　whole；　a　cultivated　member　of
  society；　are　inferior　to　their　womankind。　　I　feel　sure　that　all
  Americans　who　have　travelled　and　have　seen　their　compatriot　in　his
  social　relations　with　foreigners；　will　agree　with　this；　reluctant
  as　I　am　to　acknowledge　it。
  That　a　sister　and　brother　brought　up　together；　under　the　same
  influences；　should　later　differ　to　this　extent　seems　incredible。
  It　is　just　this　that　convinces　me　we　have　made　a　false　start　as
  regards　the　education　and　ambitions　of　our　young　men。
  To　find　the　reasons　one　has　only　to　glance　back　at　our　past。　　After
  the　struggle　that　insured　our　existence　as　a　united　nation；　came　a
  period　of　great　prosperity。　　When　both　seemed　secure；　we　did　not
  pause　and　take　breath；　as　it　were；　before　entering　a　new　epoch　of
  development；　but　dashed　ahead　on　the　old　lines。　　It　is　here　that　we
  got　on　the　wrong　road。　　Naturally　enough　too；　for　our　peculiar
  position　on　this　continent；　far　away　from　the　centres　of
  cultivation　and　art；　surrounded　only　by　less　successful　states　with
  which　to　compare　ourselves；　has　led　us　into　forming　erroneous　ideas
  as　to　the　proportions　of　things；　causing　us　to　exaggerate　the　value
  of　material　prosperity　and　undervalue　matters　of　infinitely　greater
  importance；　which　have　been　neglected　in　consequence。
  A　man　who；　after　fighting　through　our　late　war；　had　succeeded　in
  amassing　a　fortune；　naturally　wished　his　son　to　follow　him　on　the
  only　road　in　which　it　had　ever　occurred　to　him　that　success　was　of
  any　importance。　　So　beyond　giving　the　boy　a　college　education；
  which　he　had　not　enjoyed；　his　ambition　rarely　went；　his　idea　being
  to　make　a　practical　business　man　of　him；　or　a　lawyer；　that　he　could
  keep　the　estate　together　more　intelligently。　　In　thousands　of
  cases；　of　course；　individual　taste　and　bent　over…ruled　this
  influence；　and　a　career　of　science　or　art　was　chosen；　but　in　the
  mass　of　the　American　people；　it　was　firmly　implanted　that　the
  pursuit　of　wealth　was　the　only　occupation　to　which　a　reasonable
  human　being　could　devote　himself。　　A　young　man　who　was　not　in　some
  way　engaged　in　increasing　his　income　was　looked　upon　as　a　very
  undesirable　member　of　society；　and　sure；　sooner　or　later；　to　come
  to　harm。
  Millionaires　declined　to　send　their　sons　to　college；　saying　they
  would　get　ideas　there　that　would　unfit　them　for　business；　to
  Paterfamilias　the　one　object　of　life。　　Under　such　fostering
  influences；　the　ambitions　in　our　country　have　gradually　given　way
  to　money　standards　and　the　false　start　has　been　made！　　Leaving
  aside　at　once　the　question　of　money　in　its　relation　to　our　politics
  （although　it　would　be　a　fruitful　subject　for　moralizing）；　and
  confining　ourselves　strictly　to　the　social　side　of　life；　we　soon
  see　the　results　of　this　mammon　worship。
  In　England　（although　Englishmen　have　been　contemptuously　called　the
  shop…keepers　of　the　world）　the　extension　and　maintenance　of　their
  vast　empire　is　the　mainspring　which　keeps　the　great　machine　in
  movement。　　And　one　sees　tens　of　thousands　of　well…born　and
  delicately…bred　men　cheerfully　entering　the　many　branches　of　public
  service　where　the　hope　of　wealth　can　never　come；　and　retiring　on
  pensions　or　half…pay　in　the　strength　of　their　middle　age；
  apparently　without　a　regret　or　a　thought　beyond　their　country's
  well…being。
  In　France；　where　the　passionate　love　of　their　own　land　has　made
  colonial　extension　impossible；　the　modern　Frenchman　of　education　is
  more　interested　in　the　yearly　exhibition　at　the　SALON　or　in　a
  successful　play　at　the　FRANCAIS；　than　in　the　stock　markets　of　the
  world。
  Would　that　our　young　men　had　either　of　these　bents！　　They　have
  copied　from　England　a　certain　love　of　sport；　without　the　English
  climate　or　the　calm　of　country　and　garrison　life；　to　make　these
  sports　logical　and　necessary。　　As　the　young　American　millionaire
  thinks　he　must　go　on　increasing　his　fortune；　we　see　the　anomaly　of
  a　man　working　through　a　summer's　day　in　Wall　Street；　then　dashing
  in　a　train　to　some　suburban　club；　and　appearing　a　half…hour　later
  on　the　polo　field