te which distinguish the _parvenu_ of
society." Now the intention, as well as the words of the author,
represented the "aristocracy" in quite a different light. That line
should have read "that elegance and etiquette which distinguish _the
well-bred_ from the _parvenu_ of society, etc." Nevertheless, the
whole sense of the sentence is destroyed by the omission of the
_italicised_ words, and the reader is left to infer that the
aristocracy of New Orleans are the _parvenu_ of society; rather, we
must admit, a doubtful compliment, and quite in accordance with the
following words, which go on to speak of "the vulgar but wealthy class
of citizens with which this country is infested." Now we do not
pretend for a moment to believe that our readers would imagine that we
meant the sentence quoted in the sense it appears, and they may,
perhaps, pass it over without noticing the errors complained of; but
when such errors should not exist they become a source of much
annoyance to the author, and could they have been rectified before it
was too late, they should never have appeared in print. In fact, after
discovering that an error of so gross a nature existed in the first
pages of the book, the author would have had the entire "form"
reprinted, had not the extravagant price of paper, and its great
scarcity, precluded the possibility of such an idea being carried into
effect. The errors, therefore, remain, and for them we would claim
indulgence, although readily admitting that none is deserved.

And now we desire to say a few words relative to the work you have
just completed reading. It may appear to you a wild and extravagant
tale of hardships and privations which existed only in the imagination
of the author. Were your supposition correct, we should rejoice, but
unfortunately, every day brings us scenes of poverty that this work
lacks in ability to portray, in sufficient force, the terrible
sufferings borne by thousands of our people. In the plenitude of our
wealth, we think not of poor, and thus we cannot tell or find out the
hundreds of poverty stricken wretches who cover the country. Our
natures may be charitable even, but we only give charity where it is
asked for, and await the coming of the mendicant before our purses are
opened. By these means alone do we judge the extent of suffering in
the land, and, not hearing of many cases of penury, or receiving many
applications for assistance, we believe that the assertions of grea