Vandalia Whig and Illinois intelligencer. [volume] (Vandalia, Ill.) 1832-183?, 1834-11-27
From the London Athenaeum.
SKETCHES OF SOCIETY IN THE UNITED
STATES OF AMERICA.

.
excited some attention In Germany. They
are professedly written by German lady,
and the result of four years. observation,
ending with 1888. The writer has evi-
IDENTITY taken Mrs. TrolIope as model, but
wants her truth and talent; for much as the
latter delighted in exaggeration and carrie
AZURE, she had generally some warrant for
her assertions--some individual instance
to justify whai she gave as national char
acteris,ics; and her pleasant extravaganza
ought TO have given no more pain to the
Americans than their own sketches of the
Kentuckians, and the Down-easters 10 the
worthy people of the states so ridiculed.
But the German lady often deals in down
right papable falsehoods. We hear that a
translation of these sketches is contempla-
ted. As a separate publication such work
will not succeed in England. The extracts
which we intended TO give will be as much
as the subject will bear. The Americans,
however, may now see that such libels do
not arise from English jealousy. English
menindeed, laugh on such occasions, and
Americans should do the same
Broadway, Mem York Broadway, the
principal street in New York, is one of the
noblest in the world. 1t is always throng'
ed with carriages but the equippages are
not SO brilliant as the European; the coach
men and footmen are invariably blacks,
and the whole concern is merely hired; for
nota creature has a carriage and horses of
his own, excepting those who keep them to
let out on hire. The liveiest part of tins
street is the middle. The beginning of il
is formed by the neat but not spacious
dwellings Of the oldest wealthy families.
Those who have enriched themselves ip
latter times, and these are almost exclusive
y native Americans, and therefore obliged
to build their magnificent habitations in
the third. mile of the street. Here they
stand, at first Intermlxed with wretched
houses, then with sheds and huts, and final
ly, quite detached, and further apart, scat
tered among heaps of rubbish, on vacant
spots that never have been leveIled. A
mile in advance are the streets to be occu-
pied by future generations, scarcely indica-
led on the wild, uneven, rocky soil, upon
which here and there crippled forest tree
owes lis existence to the victory of indo-
Shops and Purchasers.-The shops and
the throng of people neyt claim our atten-
ton. The Parisians, it is we'll known are
masters in the art of tastefullv decorating
their magazines as they pompously style the
most petty shops; of setting off their goods
to the best advantage, and displa wing them
in the most striking and attractive m amer:
ir his accomplishment, the people of New
York are not whit behind them and when
you see the troops of dressy ladies' and Of
ficious gentlemen parading the streets and
pouring into the shops, youths not the least
doubt but great deal of business must be
done: but was soon convinced of the con-
trary. All the shops that l entered we're
futl OF ladies'; the masters as we'll as the
shopmen, were busily engaged in taking
down parcels of goods, opening and tyiag
them up again. Each lady wished to see
every thing, to learn the price of every
thing, whes it arrived, by what ship. from
what place, and the like 1t is amusing to
see the fair querlsts turning over The silks
and ribbands with their delicate hands, un-
rolling every thing, asking a thousand ques-
tions whist examining the quality, at last.
laying the stats in folds, the rbbands in
bows, forming The most elegant draperles.
nay, extenporising whole tabIea,ix with as
sonishing CELEBRITY When this is over, they
. leave the shop, promising to call again, and
90 into the next, to repeat the same me,
which is kept up from eigh, in the morning
till two in the afternoon. At that hour ev.
cry body goes to dinner; they eat much and
quick, then rest for hall an hour, and bv
half past four, the Broadway is again in
full bloom. People now go into Company
Eech company is an exchange where The
daily price and stale Of all commodities are
discussed. About this time the shops are
visited by people from the neighboriny
country, who frequently bring them little
custom. About eleven the exhausted shop
keepers muster their remaining strength to
clean away and shut up. Is it any wonder
that every second shop window exhibits a
notice in large letters-"This shop is t.
be let?"
Iricking a Foreigner.-In spite Of the
good example, | could not help buying
whenever | went into shop some article
or other, for which of course, as foreign.
or, l had topay double price, blu, the lesson
which learned at The same time, amply in-
Identified me. For the first thing / took
was asked one dollar and fifty CENTS
The shop keeper Immediately pu, into his
all ond wont IN aftand m cora,h;n~ 49,