y probably desire--by obtruding themselves on every
stranger who touches our shore. Theirs is not a generous and frank
hospitality that would fain serve others, but an irritable vanity that
would glorify themselves. The liberal and enlightened monikin is easily
to be distinguished from all of this clique. He is neither ashamed of,
nor bigoted in favor of any usages, simply because they are domestic.
With him the criterions of merit are propriety, taste, expediency, and
fitness. He distinguishes, while these crave; he neither wholly rejects,
nor wholly lives by, imitation, but judges for himself, and uses his
experience as a respectable and useful guide; while these think that all
they can attain that is beyond the reach of their neighbors, is, as a
matter of course, the sole aim of life. Strangers they seek, because
they have long since decreed that this country, with its usages, its
people, and all it contains, being founded on popular rights, is all
that is debased and vulgar, themselves and a few of their own particular
friends excepted; and they are never so happy as when they are gloating
on, and basking in, the secondary refinements of what we call the 'old
region.' Their own attainments, however, being pretty much godsends, or
such as we all pick up in our daily intercourse, they know nothing of
any foreign country but Leaphigh, whose language we happen to speak;
and, as Leaphigh is also the very beau ideal of exclusion, in its
usages, opinions, and laws, they deem all who come from that part of the
earth, as rather more entitled to their profound homage than any other
strangers."

Here Judge People's Friend, who had been vigorously pumping the
nominating committee on the subject of the chances of the little wheel,
suddenly left us, with a sneaking, self-abased air, and with his nose to
the ground, like a dog who has just caught a fresh scent.

The next time we met with the ex-envoy, he was in mourning for some
political backsliding that I never comprehended. He had submitted to a
fresh amputation of the bob, and had so thoroughly humbled the seat
of reason, that it was not possible for the most envious and malignant
disposition to fancy he had a particle of brains left. He had, moreover,
caused every hair to be shaved off his body, which was as naked as the
hand, and altogether he presented an edifying picture of penitence
and self-abasement. I afterwards understood that this purification was
considered perfect