AMERICAN GIRLS IN LONDON.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XVIII, Issue XXIV, 12 June 1897, Page 762

AMERICAN GIRLS IN LONDON.

If snobbishness was not born with the race (I think myself it must have left its serpent’s trail in the garden of Eden itself), one may be quite sure that it first sprang to life in a republican, and even communistic, country Where princely pageantry and ducal estate are a matter of course, they can never make the same impression as where they are seen and their influence felt for the first V- me ’ F ? r whlch reason no sooner had the beauties of New York become imbued with the idea that life as a plam Mrs,’ even though the surname should be Vanderbilt or Astor, was after all mere social dust and ashes ; so soon they looked further afield, and although the whole of Europe was at the service of them and their ambitions a truly British opinion that an English baronet is better than any foreign prince, caused them to first turn their attention to the Mother Country, forgiven long ago, and not forgotten. It would be interesting to know who were the first Americans who came to lay siege to London society, and the story of their ultimate successbut in the meantime, these things being wrapped in mysthere c* ll be no doubt at all that it was the Prince of Wales who made Americans the fashion. Possessed °£ dignity, and of even more than Royal tact the Prince is still above all things genial and charming* and loves best to be amused ; while it happened that these new-country belles had a knack of saying clever things in a bright way, with a sometimes fascinating accent that made them quite seductive. It was rumoured that American girls had shaken themselves free of chaperon age ; that they had, in several instances arrogated to themselves the divine rights of our own young married women ; and the most unobservant could not fail to see that in the matter of frocks and chiffons generally, as well as in the gift of repartee they were far ahead of their demurer cousins. They were in fact, the forerunners of our * new woman.’ Then also it may be confessed at once, their wealth was not looked upon altogether as a disadvantage. People have long ceased to inquire too closely into the origin of money ■ and an income which might seem small if burdened with big landed estates, goes very much farther when there are fewer territorial and feudal obligations. In a word American girls were piquant, smart and bright, and also, generally, rich ; so that when they entered into the arena to compete with English girls, they came, saw and conquered completely. Even supposing the English girl has superior attractions, she is generally weighted by the disadvantage of the law of entail, which provides that the eldest son shall succeed not only to all landed property, but to a proportionate income on which to keep it up. — CazselVi Family Magazine for April.