The Sun.
London, England, 1849-06-09 00:00:00

RE OLD LADY OF THE OLD
SCHOOL.
(From Eliza Cook's Journal.)

What a treat it is in these days to meet with " an
old lady of the old school "—one who is wise enough
to eschew peach-blossom silks and gauze bonnets, and
does not consult the " Book of Fashion " when she
requires a new dress. There is something truly re-
spectable in the rich black silk sown, exchanged at
weddings and christenings for a brown lustre; there
j 8 becoming simplicity in the snowy lace cap, with
tll
° grey hair smoothly banded under the full bor-
dering, and there is an unfathomable charm about
'nose side appendages called pockets —we do not mean
those shallow modern reservoirs, that are only licensed
to carry a laced bit of cambric and an embroidered
Purse.—we mean those ample developments of stitched
dimity, some half yard dec p, containing unlimited quan-
tity, You will be safe to find a pincushion, a bottle
of smelling salts, a thimble, a piece of sealing wax, a
Pocket book, filled with choice recipes and particular
records, a penknife, some caraway comfits and
Spanish liquorice, a Chinese puzzle, and an English
apple; with, not unfrequently, a peg-top, a bag of
Marbles, and a half-dressed doll—these last items
tbeing indicative symptoms of grandchildren. Indeed,
re old lady is not seen in full character, without she
has a tribe of girls and boys of the second generation
rowing up round her, who induce the exhibition of
r partialities and prejudices. As for the boys
learnng Greek and German, it is all a parcel of non-
sense, and might just as well be done without. She
strongly objects to the girls stooping over framework
and drawing, and is rude enough to stigmatise the
fira,t as " a lot of trumpery," and honours the last
!vita some indistinct opinion, not at all calculated to
Increase the artist's vanity. She cannot think it
quite right that misses of sixteen should take wine
With gentlemen, and is surprised that Master Tom,
who was fourteen last birthday, should be advocating
'Be " elegance of tail -coats."
She does not patronize French dishes nor Italian
;flask- She enjoys roast beef, and has a juvenile at-
,,achrnent to apple•pie, being rather critical as to its
Savour of cloves and lemon-peel.
She insists that " Old Robin Gray," and " Time
has not thinned my flowing Hair," are far superior to
any compositions of Weber and Rossini. Should
4137 human Goth venture to sing "Jessie, the Flower
of Durnblane," or "The Bewildered Maid," she will
grow ecstatic, and peer through her spectacles into
the face of the singer with most admiring affection,
etpressing a hearty wish that the young people would
Practise such things, instead of the fine " fal lals" that
begin with a groan and end with a scream.
" The Old Lady of the Old School" generally has
an especial and peculiar arrangement of working
tools, in the shape of scissors, pins, needles, tapes,
threads, and so forth, with which none dare to inter-
fere, under penalty of her severe displeasure and very
active resistance. She will graciously lend or give
from her stores ; but the article must be asked for,
bin,
taken; and a vulgar snatch at a piece of bob,
Scissors,l9l or an unceremonious appropriation of her best
may be productive of considerable
_ Dental excitement. She is ever obstinately bent
eutto threading her needle herself, particularly by
ot,l!dle-light ; and when she by chance does allow an-
her
perform the task for her, it is only on the
the
of her firm conviction, " that the eyes of
_ needles in our days are made very differently to
wnat they used to be."
Sbe is a little given to etiquette, and meets stran-
gets •
4 with a visible evidence of having studied the
tio4Y-I,.i.auet de la Cour ;" but if you can once get her
, a dilate on the acting of Mrs. Siddons, or get her
Issock to the palmy time of Vauxhall, her formality
ghlves wonderfully, under the recital of a crush
rie.endured when she went to see Isabella, and the
whi,rt she felt in listening to Mrs. Bland's ditties,
ghe it Poured with rain one summer night.
atre e cannot be induced to admire railways, and
stopnurslY declares, that people never know when to
it with their inventions and science. She thinks
witierY strange that the world cannot go fast enough
gono respectable stage-coaches and eight-horse weg-
takeNas it used to do ; and on her son's proposing to
1141 her to Brighton by " express train," she indig-
s Y and seriously begs him " not to talk non-
-ense"

pearlle Old Lady of the Old School" frequently ap-
quas the patroness of a venerable spaniel, or anti-
c
ringed tabby, whom she protects from the
fooleat clutches of her youngest grandson, with uni-
beo ll benevolence. The domestics may occasionally
g eet herself, and she pardons the delinquents un
(Ineernedlv ; but if they venture to forget " Fop's"
slnner, eq. It Tibby's" milk, a very decided reminder
of,aow volunteered. On inquiry, the dog or cat will
Ca be found to have been the favourite, or gift, of
er late husband, and the old lady's love for the dumb
hlng, is a tender and natural compliment to the me-
rnor
,Y of the departed.
e,.-111 literature she prefers Shakspere and Goldsmith.
tohae honestly declares she cannot understand much of
Ve Poetry put forth in our time, but that she can
feetly comprehend " 0.hello," and the " Deserted
"''ere so
"but then," as she observes, "those writers
"'ere so simple:, She also has a predilection for
IVhittington and his Cat," and " Little Red Riding
4100 d." All the juvenile possessions in this depart
went are the gifts of grandmamma, and it is shrewdly
suspected she sometimes has a peep into them entirely
on her own account, without even the excuse of little
Tom's wanting to know what that pretty yellow
book is about.
As regards dancing, she cannot bring herself to
understand " The Lancers" or " First Set," and
looks with something very like contempt on the
„
ZenPle walking through " L'Ete ;" but when the
Peeing bars of " Haste to the Wedding" are heard,
and
2 preparations for "down the middle and up again"
re nlaking then do we see the old lady nodding time
toith her head, and betraying certain fidgetty quip-
with her feet ; and, if it should happen to be
ristroas-eve, do not be astonished if she suffer
h2lle favourite and audacious young friend to pull
itivr into the rank, where we find her jigging away
fashion that causes one to doubt whether her
Atquent complaints of rheumatism are quite justified.
rubbcards she is very serious, and sits down to a
tt ea g
rarlii
cling grandson
gravity and precision. Even
i
grandson stands a fair chance of being
d" if he dare to address her while the "odd
arojew is Pending ; and, though she be of a most
to e and forgiving disposition, she has been known
beebearo_ violent animosity for three months toward the
card'. °f old gentlemen, because he trumped her best
beloy„,le Lady of the Old School "is generally
them-".and respected by the servants. She supplies
ehiibi:“h infallible remedies for chapped hands and
and tla'as• She manages to bequeath a sil.k.dress now
sus, en, While it is as good as new ; and it is strongly
varseteted that the smart handkerchief and fancy
-we "at, which the groom wears when he a
mask with the housemaid, were the gift oftakes " old
isltress?,
sicij3erYkint of worrying and coaxing, her purse is con-
her f'i°l3' lightened of its contents by the juveniles of
ivbielnall.Y. Edward has seen a splendid riding whip,
u he would fain add to his possessions ; and if
Cl6,..a,n.dmarnma would but give him ten shillings, he
manage it. Little Tom, who has set his heart
lead
eyes on a monstrous kite, artfully contrives to
'ad grandmamma to the toy-shop window, and fully
Persuades her that it would be a delightful evening's
'Kiss Mara
for her to help him to make a tail to it.
'Kiss Clara stops short on Ludgate-hill, being in-
tPired with " love at first sight," by a sweet work-
u°z; and, considering she has made a marble bag
and hemmed two handkerchiefs in her lifetime,
the desire for such a necessary appendage is not
to be wondered at. Miss Emily, who has a pet
Spaniel, happens to see a beautiful silver collar, and
Zviaes, with the most extraordinary sagacity, that it
mould In short, there is no
etid "just fit" Fide's neck.
b to the demands upon the old lady's generosity ;
pileht,theo it is well known she has a handsome inde-
Nsence, and " if she chooses to spend it in such a
I:3T, what is it to any one ?" It is quite useless for
'1,13a or mamma to interfere. It is vain to tell her
sa-,ensPails the children, for she only smiles a little
bEte-,1, and says, " Never mind ! my race will, soon
tbe`hiln ; I shall not be here long to spoil them ; and
t - who can breathe another word of expostulation
.0 14 the Old Lady of the Old School ?"
ELIZA Coot.
1),

ayjaVRYP.LANE THEATRE.—The German company
. e Don Giovanni last night in very
h
superior style.
ek was the Giovanni; and ho gave a fine manly
;entlering of the character, singing the music with great
slriergY• The cast included two new singers—Mdlle.
,(ti !itz.r, as the Donna Anna, and Herr Rauscher, as th.e
Ottsvio. The lady is an accomplished vocalist, with
"good soprano voice well cultivated. The tenor is of
_„erage merit. Formes gave a new reading of the part
of
as in the style of the Figaro—but he
was eminently successful. The general getting up of the
okra was excellent, and the encores were frequent.
illtourrort HOSPITAL FOR CONSUMPTION.--Yes_
terday evening a meeting of the board of management
Wall held at the hospital, Captain Lyon in the chair.
The general routine business having been disposed of, it
was stated that the committee would be ready for the
receive of tenders for the building of the new chapel 01
the 21st inst. This edifice, the gift of Sir Henry Foulis,
13art., although strictly harmonizing with the main
building, will be erected with Kentish rag-stone, with
Caen stone dressings. The accommodation for the patients
and officers of the institution will somewhat exceed 200.
The building of the sacred edifice will be proceeded with
as rapidly as possible.
MORE POISONING FOR BURIAL FEES.--COMMITTAL
Og A WIFE FOR THE MURDER OF HER HUSBAND.--
IdEXHAII, JUNE 6.—A protracted investigation has been
Pending the last five weeks at Halt whistle, near this
Place, before Mr. Richards, the district coroner, concern-
ing the alleged murder of William Hornsby, who is
stated to have been poisoned by his wife Christiana
ilornsby. The proceedings, which throughout have been
e,Qutitteted with closed doors, terminated yesterday. The
Jr,Cryreturned a verdict of " Wilful murder" against
kAltistiana Hornsby, who was forthwith committed on
eat oorowea maw fa On Idol at the valuing GelliZeis