| PART I. | |
| CONTAINING THE ADVENTURES OF A DAY SPENT AMONG THE BLOODS IN NEW YORK. | |
| Introduction.—Character of the Author. | Page 3 |
| CHAPTER I. | |
| Walk to the Battery.—The Breakfast.—Conversation of young travelled Americans.—Their Notions of Politics, Negroes, and Women. | 16 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| Return to the City.—Arrival of the London Packet.—Reception of the Passengers.—American Speculations on an English Lord.—Introduction to a Fashionable Boarding-house.—A New England Minerva.—A Belle.—A Lady from Virginia.—Conduct of Fashionable Young Ladies towards Gentlemen of an inferior Standing.—Confusion produced by the Dinner-bell. | 49 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| The Dinner.—Reflections on the Homage paid to American Women.—Observation of a Fashionable Young Lady on American eating.—The Party after Dinner.—An American descanting on the Fashions.—Parallel between English and American Women.—Manner of rising in Society.—Extravagance and Waste of the Middle Classes.—Toad-eating of Fashionable Americans in Europe.—Their Contempt for the Liberal Institutions of their Country.—Manner in which the Society of America may be used as a Means of correcting the Notions of European Exaltados.—The British Constitution in high favour with the Upper Classes.—Southern and Northern Aristocracy contrasted.—Aristocracy of Literati.—American Women in Society and at Home.—Pushing in Society the Cause of Failures.—Western Aristocracy.—An Aristocratic Lady in Pittsburgh.—Aristocracy in a Printer’s Shop.—Philosophical Windings-up of the Party. | 84 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| Joining the Ladies.—Education of a Fashionable Young Lady in New York—her Accomplishments.—Tea without Gentlemen.—Commercial Disasters not affecting the Routine of Amusements in the City of New York.—The Theatre.—Forest come back to America.—Opinions of the Americans on Shakspeare and the Drama.—Their Estimation of Forest as an Actor.—Forest and Rice contrasted. | 155 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| Description of an American Rout.—A Flirtation.—The Floor kept by the same Set of Dancers.—Fashionable Characters.—An Unfortunate Girl at a Party.—Inquiry instituted in her Behalf.—Anecdote of two Fashionable young Ladies at Nahant.—Aristocratic Feelings of the Americans carried abroad.—Anecdotes.—Reflections on the Manners of the Higher Classes.—Anecdotes illustrative of Western Politeness and Hospitality.—Kentucky Hospitality.—Hypocrisy of the Higher Orders of Americans.—Aristocracy in Churches.—An American Aristocrat compared to Shylock.—A Millionnaire.—Two Professional Men.—Stephen Gerard.—A Gentleman of Norman Extraction.—Different Methods resorted to for procuring Ancestors.—Americans and the English contrasted.—A Country Representative—Method of making him desert his Principles.—Political Synonyms.—Contempt for Democracy.—Expectations of the American Aristocracy.—Objections to Waltzing.—Announcement of Supper. | 190 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| A German Dissertation on Eating.—Application of Eating to Scientific, Moral, and Political Purposes.—Democrats in America not in the Habit of entertaining People.—Consequences of this Mistake.—The Supper.—Dialogue between a Country Representative and a Fashionable Lady.—Mode of winning Country Members.—Hatred of the Higher Classes of everything belonging to Democracy.—Attachment of the Old Families to England.—Hatred of the “Vulgar English.”—The French, and even the English, not sufficiently aristocratic for the Americans.—Generosity of the Americans toward England.—A Fashionable Young Lady.—An American Exquisite.—Middle-aged Gentlemen and Ladies.—Americans not understanding how to amuse themselves, because they do not know how to laugh.—Negroes the happiest People in the United States.—Breaking-up of the Party.—Gallantry of the Gentlemen. | 228 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| Late Hours kept in New York.—The Oyster-shops of New York compared to those of Philadelphia.—Important Schism on that Subject.—The Café de l’Indépendance.—A French Character.—Description of a Fashionable Oyster-shop.—A sensible American just returned from Paris.—His account of American Aristocracy abroad.—Mr. L*** and Mr. Thistle.—A shrewd Yankee Tailor in Paris.—His Advice to his Countrymen.—An American Senator scorning to become the fee’d Advocate of the Mob, after the manner of O’Connell. | 277 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| Return Home.—A Passage from the Edinburgh Review, apologetical of American Federalism.—Speculation on the Subject.—Little Reward of Democracy in the United States.—The Higher Classes contending for the Purse.—Consequence of this Policy.—Declaration of an American Reviewer with regard to American Poets.—Their Reward in Europe.—Falling asleep.—The Nightmare. | 306 |