NOBLEMEN IN AMERICA.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1155, 2 October 1883, Page 3

NOBLEMEN IN AMERICA.

We are learning in this country (says thfl New York Times) a good deal concerning the habits of the European nobility. Every year a number of English and continental noblemen visit us, and from them we learn the way in which noblemen live. It is now established that a nobleman always marries from two to six wives every year. In spite of his enormous wealth, the nobleman is always out of money, and is forced to borrow from every American whose acquaintance he can make. Evidently forgery is one of the privileges of the European nobility, for our visiting nobleman rarely remains in this country a year without committing forgery, which of course he would not do if he supposed it was contrary to law. Noblemoa also have a fondness for picking up small articles of portable property belonging to other people, including coats and trousers, and leaving thena with pawnbrokers. This is undoubtedly among the privileges of noblemen at Home, and it is only because we are ignorant of noble ways that we look upon it as objectionable. It could be wished that noblemen did not universally use bad grammar, to say nothing of burl language, and did not get drunk, but there can be no doubt that drunke'Uiess and bad grammar are habitual among all European noblemen. Of course it may be said that our visiting noblemen are impostors, nnd that real noblemen are very much like other men. Indeed, there are ignorant persons who believe that an English lord may be a quiet, modest gentleman, and that a German count does not resemble a Polish Jew. These opinions, however, are by no means genera!. Whenever a man comes to this country and announces that ho is a nobleman, we promptly recognise him as such, and, with great inconsistency are surprised when he ends his career in gaol, as a German count has just ended his in St Louis.