Mr. Carson straightened up. His eyebrows lifted impatiently but
immediately his face took on an expression of polite calm, and
slightly tipping his hat, he said: "It is very possible ... the
gentleman evidently includes the population of the cemeteries of
Chicago."
He bowed and resumed his walking, leaving Mr. Jackson aghast with
mouth wide-open, speechless, for he had not time to protest. Then he
got up quickly and walked along the deck.... My companion followed him
with his smiling eyes....
"Perfect parrots," he said. "Petty patriotism, in its most naive
form.... Dickens long ago noticed that trait of American character and
so it goes on." My sly countryman skilfully interviewed his victim,
disclosing step by step the ludicrous traits of a Yankee. There were
many weak sides. Mr. Jackson, in whom we were mainly interested,
proved to be a mediocre person in all respects, with a naively
middle-class outlook on life, and we, the two Russian observers,
revelled in that delightful malice which is so characteristic of
Russians abroad.
Pages:
43
44
45
46
47
48
49
50
51
52
53
54
55
56
57
58
59
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67