CHAPTER15-AFalseStartHAVINGhad，duringawanderingexistence，manyopportunitiesofobservingmycompatriotsawayfromhomeandfamiliarsurroundingsinvariouscirclesofcosmopolitansociety，atforeigncourts，indiplomaticlife，orunofficialcapacities，Iamforcedtoacknowledgethatwhereasmycountrywomaninvariablyassumedhernewpositionwithgraceanddignity，mycountryman，inthemajorityofcases，appearedatadisadvantage。
Itakeparticularpleasureinmakingthistributetomy\"sisters\"
tactandwit，asIhavebeenaccusedofbeing\"hard\"onAmericanwomen，andsomehalf-humorouscriticismshavebeentakenseriouslybyover-susceptiblewomen-doubtlesstroubledwithguiltyconsciencesfornothingismoreexactthantheoldFrenchproverb，\"Itisonlythetruththatwounds。\"
Thefactremainsclear，however，thatAmericanmen，asregardspolish，facilityinexpressingthemselvesinforeignlanguages，theartsofpleasingandentertaining，inshort，thethousandandonenothingscomposingthatagreeablewhole，acultivatedmemberofsociety，areinferiortotheirwomankind。IfeelsurethatallAmericanswhohavetravelledandhaveseentheircompatriotinhissocialrelationswithforeigners，willagreewiththis，reluctantasIamtoacknowledgeit。
Thatasisterandbrotherbroughtuptogether，underthesameinfluences，shouldlaterdiffertothisextentseemsincredible。