aste and dignity, every one
must admit who is in any degree familiar with the American colonies in
the cities of Europe where our countrymen congregate.

I should perhaps say, to express myself more accurately, "where our
countrywomen congregate;" for, after all, the true representatives of
America in Europe are the American women. Nine-tenths of all the
American colonies consist of mothers who, having left their liege lords
to their stocks and merchandise, have come abroad "for the education of
their children"--an exceedingly elastic as well as convenient formula,
which somehow always makes one think of charity that "covereth a
multitude of sins." Occasionally--once in three or four years
perhaps--the husband leaves his stocks or merchandise for a brief space
of time, crosses the Atlantic and remains with his family a month or
two. Occasionally also he fails to appear altogether. I am not very sure
but that this last course is the one that foreigners expect him to
pursue, and that when he deviates from it it is not rather a surprise to
them. Europeans, I fancy, are somewhat apt to look upon the American
husband as a myth. At all events, it seems to take the experience of
Thomas in many instances to convince them of his material existence.
The American who is content to have his wife and children leave him for
an indefinite period ranging anywhere from one year to ten years, and
during that time enjoy the advantages of life and travel in Europe,
while he himself remains at home absorbed in his business, is a species
of the genus _Homo_ that Europeans are at a loss to comprehend. Being so
rarely seen in the flesh, he necessarily occupies but a secondary
position in their estimation: indeed, I think all American men, those of
the class named no more than those that are more frequently seen abroad,
such as doctors, clergymen, consuls, etc., may be said--some exception
being made for the "leisure class" possessed of four-in-hands and so on,
and an unlimited supply of the world's goods--to be considered by
Europeans of no great significance, socially speaking. It is madame and
mesdemoiselles who are all-important. Monsieur is thought a worthy
person, with some excellent qualities, such as freedom from
uncomfortable jealousies and suspicions, and both capacity and
willingness for furnishing remittances, but a person rather destitute of
polish--invaluable from a domestic point of view, from any other
somewhat uninteresting. Bu