True Americanism 41 



tered from the winds that harden stouter souls. 

 This emigre may write graceful and pretty verses, 

 essays, novels; but he will never do work to com- 

 pare with that of his brother, who is strong enough 

 to stand on his own feet, and do his work as an 

 American. Thus it is with the scientist who spends 

 his youth in a German university, and can thence- 

 forth work only in the fields already fifty times 

 furrowed by the German plows. Thus it is with 

 that most foolish of parents who sends his children 

 to be educated abroad, not knowing what every 

 clear-sighted man from Washington and Jay down 

 has known that the American who is to make his 

 way in America should be brought up among his 

 fellow Americans. It is among the people who 

 like to consider themselves, and, indeed, to a large 

 extent are, the leaders of the so-called social world, 

 especially in some of the Northeastern cities, that 

 this colonial habit of thought, this thoroughly pro- 

 vincial spirit of admiration for things foreign, and 

 inability to stand on one's own feet, becomes most 

 evident and most despicable. We believe in every 

 kind of honest and lawful pleasure, so long as the 

 getting it is not made man's chief business; and 

 we believe heartily in the good that can be done 

 by men of leisure who work hard in their leisure, 

 whether at politics or philanthropy, literature or 

 art. But a leisure class whose leisure simply means 

 idleness is a curse to the community, and in so far 

 as its members distinguish themselves chiefly by 

 aping the worst not the best traits of similar 



