and　giving　grounds　for　tennis　and　golf　clubs。　　Clever　Southern
  people！　　The　money　returned　to　them　a　hundredfold；　and　they　lived
  to　see　their　wild　coast　become　the　chosen　residence　of　the
  wealthiest　aristocracy　in　Europe；　and　the　rocky　hillsides　blossom
  into　terrace　above　terrace　of　villa　gardens；　where　palm　and　rose
  and　geranium　vie　with　the　olive　and　the　mimosa　to　shade　the　white
  villas　from　the　sun。　　To…day；　no　little　town　on　the　coast　is
  without　its　English　chapel；　British　club；　tennis　ground；　and　golf
  links。　　On　a　fair　day　at　Monte　Carlo；　Nice；　or　Cannes；　the
  prevailing　conversation　is　in　English；　and　the　handsome；　well…
  dressed　sons　of　Albion　lounge　along　beside　their　astonishing
  womankind　as　thoroughly　at　home　as　on　Bond　Street。
  Those　wonderful　English　women　are　the　source　of　unending　marvel　and
  amusement　to　the　French。　　They　can　never　understand　them；　and　small
  wonder；　for　with　the　exception　of　the　small　〃set〃　that　surrounds
  the　Prince　of　Wales；　who　are　dressed　in　the　Parisian　fashion；　all
  English　women　seem　to　be　overwhelmed　with　regret　at　not　being　born
  men；　and　to　have　spent　their　time　and　ingenuity　since；　in　trying　to
  make　up　for　nature's　mistake。　　Every　masculine　garment　is　twisted
  by　them　to　fit　the　female　figure；　their　conversation；　like　that　of
  their　brothers；　is　about　horses　and　dogs；　their　hats　and　gloves　are
  the　same　as　the　men's；　and　when　with　their　fine；　large　feet　in
  stout　shoes　they　start　off；　with　that　particular　swinging　gait　that
  makes　the　skirt　seem　superfluous；　for　a　stroll　of　twenty　miles　or
  so；　Englishwomen　do　seem　to　the　uninitiated　to　have　succeeded　in
  their　ambition　of　obliterating　the　difference　between　the　sexes。
  It　is　of　an　evening；　however；　when　concealment　is　no　longer
  possible；　that　the　native　taste　bursts　forth；　the　Anglo…Saxon
  standing　declared　in　all　her　plainness。　　Strong　is　the　contrast
  here；　where　they　are　placed　side　by　side　with　all　that　Europe　holds
  of　elegant；　and　well…dressed　Frenchwomen；　whether　of　the　〃world〃　or
  the　〃half…world；〃　are　invariably　marvels　of　fitness　and　freshness；
  the　simplest　materials　being　converted　by　their　skilful　touch　into
  toilettes；　so　artfully　adapted　to　the　wearer's　figure　and
  complexion；　as　to　raise　such　〃creations〃　to　the　level　of　a　fine
  art。
  An　artist　feels；　he　must　fix　on　canvas　that　particular　combination
  of　colors　or　that　wonderful　line　of　bust　and　hip。　　It　is　with　a
  shudder　that　he　turns　to　the　British　matron；　for　she　has　probably；
  for　this　occasion；　draped　herself　in　an　〃art　material；〃　…
  principally　〃Liberty〃　silks　of　dirty　greens　and　blues　（aesthetic
  shades！）。　　He　is　tempted　to　cry　out　in　his　disgust：　〃Oh；　Liberty！
  Liberty！　　How　many　crimes　are　committed　in　thy　name！〃　　It　is　one　of
  the　oddest　things　in　the　world　that　the　English　should　have　elected
  to　live　so　much　in　France；　for　there　are　probably　nowhere　two
  peoples　so　diametrically　opposed　on　every　point；　or　who　so
  persistently　and　wilfully　misunderstand　each　other；　as　the　English
  and　the　French。
  It　has　been　my　fate　to　live　a　good　deal　on　both　sides　of　the
  Channel；　and　nothing　is　more　amusing　than　to　hear　the　absurdities
  that　are　gravely　asserted　by　each　of　their　neighbors。　　To　a　Briton；
  a　Frenchman　will　always　be　〃either　tiger　or　monkey〃　according　to
  Voltaire；　while　to　the　French　mind　English　gravity　is　only
  hypocrisy　to　cover　every　vice。　　Nothing　pleases　him　so　much　as　a
  great　scandal　in　England；　he　will　gleefully　bring　you　a　paper
  containing　the　account　of　it；　to　prove　how　true　is　his　opinion。　　It
  is　quite　useless　to　explain　to　the　British　mind；　as　I　have　often
  tried　to　do；　that　all　Frenchmen　do　not　pass　their　lives　drinking
  absinthe　on　the　boulevards；　and　as　Englishmen　seem　to　leave　their
  morals　in　a　valise　at　Dover　when　off　for　a　visit　to　Paris；　to　be
  picked　up　on　their　return；　it　is　time　lost　to　try　to　make　a　Gaul
  understand　what　good　husbands　and　fathers　the　sons　of　Albion　are。
  These　two　great　nations　seem　to　stand　in　the　relation　to　each　other
  that　Rome　and　Greece　held。　　The　English　are　the　conquerors　of　the
  world；　and　its　great　colonizers；　with　a　vast　capital　in　which
  wealth　and　misery　jostle　each　other　on　the　streets；　a　hideous
  conglomeration　of　buildings　and　monuments；　without　form　and　void；
  very　much　as　old　Rome　must　have　been　under　the　Caesars；　enormous
  buildings　without　taste；　and　enormous　wealth。　　The　French　have
  inherited　the　temperament　of　the　Greeks。　　The　drama；　painting；　and
  sculpture　are　the　preoccupation　of　the　people。　　The　yearly
  exhibitions　are；　for　a　month　before　they　open；　the　unique　subject
  of　conversation　in　drawing…room　or　club。　　The　state　protects　the
  artist　and　buys　his　work。　　Their　CONSERVATOIRES　form　the　singers；
  and　their　schools　the　painters　and　architects　of　Europe　and
  America。
  The　English　copy　them　in　their　big　way；　just　as　the　Romans　copied
  the　masterpieces　of　Greek　art；　while　they　despised　the　authors。　　It
  is　rare　that　a　play　succeeds　in　Paris　which　is　not　instantly
  translated　and　produced　in　London；　often　with　the　adapter's　name
  printed　on　the　programme　in　place　of　the　author's；　the　French…man；
  who　only　wrote　it；　being　ignored。　　Just　as　the　Greeks　faded　away
  and　disappeared　before　their　Roman　conquerors；　it　is　to　be　feared
  that　in　our　day　this　people　of　a　finer　clay　will　succumb。　　The
  〃defects　of　their　qualities〃　will　be　their　ruin。　　They　will　stop　at
  home；　occupied　with　literature　and　art；　perfecting　their　dainty
  cities；　while　their　tougher　neighbors　are　dominating　the　globe；
  imposing　their　language　and　customs　on　the　conquered　peoples　or　the
  earth。　　One　feels　this　on　the　Riviera。　　It　reminds　you　of　the
  cuckoo　who；　once　installed　in　a　robin's　nest；　that　seems　to　him
  convenient　and　warmly　located　in　the　sunshine；　ends　by　kicking　out
  all　the　young　robins。
  CHAPTER　23　…　A　Common　Weakness
  GOVERNMENTS　may　change　and　all　the　conditions　of　life　be　modified；
  but　certain　ambitions　and　needs　of　man　remain　immutable。　　Climates；
  customs；　centuries；　have　in　no　way　diminished　the　craving　for
  consideration；　the　desire　to　be　somebody；　to　bear　some　mark
  indicating　to　the　world　that　one　is　not　as　other　men。
  For　centuries　titles　supplied　the　want。　　This　satisfaction　has　been
  denied　to　us；　so　ambitious　souls　are　obliged　to　seek　other　means　to
  feed　their　vanity。
  Even　before　we　were　born　into　the　world　of　nations；　an　attempt　was
  made　amongst　the　aristocratically　minded　court　surrounding　our
  chief　magistrate；　to　form　a　society　that　should　（without　the　name）
  be　the　beginning　of　a　class　apart。
  The　order　of　the　Cincinnati　was　to　have　been　the　nucleus　of　an
  American　nobility。　　The　tendencies　of　this　society　are　revealed　by
  the　fact　that　primogeniture　was　its　fundamental　law。　　Nothing　could
  have　been　more　opposed　to　the　spirit　of　the　age；　nor　more　at
  variance　with　the　declaration　of　our　independence；　than　the
  insertion　of　such　a　clause。　　This　fact　was　discovered　by　the　far…
  seeing　eye　of　Washington；　and　the　society　was　suppressed　in　the
  hope　（shared　by　almost　all　contemporaries）　that　with　new　forms　of
  government　the　nature　of　man　would　undergo　a　transformation　and
  rise　above　such　puerile　ambitions。
  Time　has　shown　the　fallacy　of　these　dreams。　　All　that　has　been
  accomplished　is　the　displacement　of　the　objective　point；　the
  desire；　the　mania　for　a　handle　to　one's　name　is　as　prevalent　as
  ever。　　Leave　the　centres　of　civilization　and　wander　in　the　small
  towns　and　villages　of　our　country。　　Every　other　man　you　meet　is
  introduced　as　the　Colonel　or　the　Judge；　and　you　will　do　well　not　to
  inquire　too　closely　into　the　matter；　nor　to　ask　to　see　the　title…
  deeds　to　such　distinctions。　　On　the　other　hand；　to　omit　his　prefix
  in　addressing　one　of　these　local　magnates；　would　be　to　offend　him
  deeply。　　The　women…folk　were　quick　to　borrow　a　little　of　this
  distinction；　and　in　Washington　to…day　one　is　gravely　presented　to
  Mrs。　Senator　Smith　or　Mrs。　Colonel　Jones。　　The　climax　being　reached
  by　one　aspiring　female　who　styles　herself　on　her　visiting　cards；
  〃Mrs。　Acting…Assistant…Paymaster　Robinson。〃　　If　by　any　chance　it
  should　occur　to　any　one　to　ask　her　motive　in　sporting　such　an
  unwieldy　handle；　she　would　say　that　she　did　it　〃because　one　can't
  be　going　about　explaining　that　one　is　not　just　ordinary　Mrs。
  Robinson　or　Thompson；　like　the　thousand　others　in　town。〃　　A　woman
  who　cannot　find　an　excuse　for　assuming　such　a　prefix　will　sometime
  have　recourse　to　another　stratagem；　to　particularize　an　ordinary
  surname。　　She　remembers　that　her　husband；　who　ever　since　he　was
  born　has　been　known　to　everybody　as　Jim；　is　the　proud　possessor　of
  the　middle　name　Ivanhoe；　or　Pericles　（probably　the　result　of　a
  romantic　mother's　reading）；　so　one　fine　day　the　young　couple　bloom
  out　as　Mr。　and　Mrs。　J。　Pericles　Sparks；　to　the　amusement　of　their
  f