_. That is, nobility is all alike, as far as their
order goes; and country gents is alike, as far as their class goes; and
the last especially, when they hante travelled none, everlastin' flat,
in their own way. Take a lord, now, and visit him to his country seat,
and I'll tell you what you will find--a sort of Washington State
house place. It is either a rail old castle of the genuine kind, or a
gingerbread crinkum crankum imitation of a thing that only existed in
fancy, but never was seen afore--a thing that's made modern for use, and
in ancient stile for shew; or else it's a great cold, formal, slice of a
London terrace, stack on a hill in a wood.

"Well, there is lawn, park, artificial pond called a lake, deer that's
fashionablized and civilized, and as little natur in 'em as the humans
have. Kennel and hounds for parsicutin' foxes--presarves (not what we
call presarves, quinces and apple sarce, and green gages done in sugar,
but preserves for breedin' tame partridges and peasants to shoot at),
H'aviaries, Hive-eries, H'yew-veris, Hot Houses, and so on; for they put
an H before every word do these critters, and then tell us Yankees we
don't speak English.

"Well, when you have seen an old and a new house of these folks, you
have seen all. Featurs differ a little, but face of all is so alike,
that though p'raps you wouldn't mistake one for another, yet you'd say
they was all of one family. The king is their father.

"Now it may seem kinder odd to you, and I do suppose it will, but what
little natur there is to England is among these upper crust nobility.
_Extremes meet_. The most elegant critter in America is an Indgian
chief. The most elegant one in England is a noble. There is natur in
both. You will vow that's a crotchet of mine, but it's a fact; and I
will tell you how it is, some other time. For I opine the most charmin',
most nateral, least artificial, kindest, and condescendenest people here
are rael nobles. Younger children are the devil, half rank makes 'em
proud, and entire poverty makes 'em sour. _Strap pride on an empty puss,
and it puts a most beautiful edge on, it cuts like a razor_. They have
to assart their dignity, tother one's dignity don't want no assartin'.
It speaks for itself.

"I won't enter into particulars now. I want to shew you country life;
because if you don't want to hang yourself, don't tarry there, that's
all; go and look at 'em, but don't stay there. If you can't help it no
how, y