No. Oh my! And with some casual classism and racism to boot:

> The love of exciting tales is characteristic of all uncultivated nations, and the only difference between our children and servants, and other people pouring over their stories, and the Indians on the plains, or the nomadic Arabs seated in the desert and listening with eyes and ears intent, is that the latter are compelled to satisfy this passion in moderation.

So damn casual about it. They don't intend for it to be offensive at all. Lower classes are unintelligent and frivolous and Arabs are noble savages. That's just the writer's reality. It's crazy how far we've come.