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MY AMERICAN DIARY

CLARE SHERIDANii

CLARE SHERIDAN

(Photograph by Francis Bruguiere)
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MY
AMERICAN
DIARY

BY
CLARE SHERIDAN
Author of “MAYFAIR TO MOSCOW”



BONI AND LIVERIGHT
PUBLISHERS : NEW YORK

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Copyright, 1922,
By Boni and Liveright, Inc.

All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America

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DEDICATION

To those I have met in this country
who have not misunderstood me.vii

LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

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INTRODUCTION

The publication of an American diary requires neitherapology nor explanation, especially when it is more arecord than a criticism. Besides, the “best people” seem todo it. I have upon my desk an old volume entitled: “Travelsin the United States, etc., during 1849 and 1850,” by theLady Emmeline Stuart Wortly. It is dedicated with somepomp “to the Countess of Chesterfield by her most affectionatecousin the authoress.” By a strange coincidence we seemto have trodden the same paths, and ofttimes our impressionsare the same. Her experiences in 1850 traveling with herlittle girl are in many ways not dissimilar to mine in 1921traveling with my little son. She describes her visits toNew York, Washington, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, etc., andthen she goes to Vera Cruz, Mexico City, Puebla, and manyother places. She has the unconscious arrogance of a genteelaristocrat; she describes the people she meets and writesof them as “Ladies and Gentlemen”