Previous to our arrival there had been an invasion of the Continent by the English about the year 1812.One of their historians, called Thackeray, gives an amusing account of this in the opening chapters of his "Shabby Genteel Story." That event, however, was unimportant in comparison with the great American movement, although both were characterized by the same total disregard of the feelings and prejudices of indigenous populations.The English then walked about the continental churches during divine service, gazing at the pictures and consulting their guide-books as unconcernedly as our compatriots do to-day.They also crowded into theatres and concert halls, and afterwards wrote to the newspapers complaining of the bad atmosphere of those primitive establishments and of the long ENTR'ACTES.
As long as the invaders confined themselves to such trifles, the patient foreigners submitted to their overbearing and uncouth ways because of the supposed benefit to trade.The natives even went so far as to build hotels for the accommodation and delight of the invaders, abandoning whole quarters to their guests.
There was, however, a point at which complacency stopped.The older civilizations had formed among themselves restricted and exclusive societies, to which access was almost impossible to strangers.These sanctuaries tempted the immigrants, who offered their fairest virgins and much treasure for the privilege of admission.The indigenous aristocrats, who were mostly poor, yielded to these offers and a few Americans succeeded in forcing an entrance.But the old nobility soon became frightened at the number and vulgarity of the invaders, and withdrew severely into their shells, refusing to accept any further bribes either in the form of females or finance.