Anglo-Franco-Californians 1 5 1 



troublous all over the country, when it seemed to 

 thoughtful men that the chain which links labour 

 to capital was about to break, so fierce was the 

 strain put upon it, one of the leaders of society 

 issued invitations to a ball which was to bear the 

 same relation to ordinary balls as the entertain- 

 ments of LucuUus bore to the every day dinners 

 of ancient Eome. As a matter of fact, the cost 

 of this ball was absurdly exaggerated, but the prin- 

 ciple is what concerns us. Much ink was spilt in 

 setting forth the pros and cons of the case. It was 

 shown that so far from the ball being an injury to 

 the poor, the benefits accruing to them from the 

 large sums of money put into active circulation 

 amongst a score of industries would very measur- 

 ably relieve a vast deal of distress. And yet the 

 sentiment on both sides of the Atlantic set dead 

 against what was termed the elevation of the 

 Dollar. The Ball was a grievous blunder on the 

 part of Capital, because lavish display during a 

 season of want and suffering is and always will be 

 cruelly inexpedient and inept. 



The Anglo-Franco-Californians have both added 

 to and subtracted from the prejudice against things 

 "English," — a prejudice that nothing short of an 

 awful war waged by the English-speaking peoples 

 against the rest of the world will be strong enough 

 to uproot and exterminate. Curiously enough there 

 is no such prejudice against things French which 

 are surely not above criticism. I remember a smart 

 equipage that used to be seen daily at Del Monte 

 some years ago. A Californian confessed to me 



