New-York daily tribune., 1843-10-28
VOL. EHs. no. iS3.
lave in the most gentemanly manner conceiva-

at a conversazlone, the Narchloness OF 6aiD
came to me to explain the matter She SAID the
gentlemen felt they must drink the toasts, or, as
she expressed it, per tor@o," and the vine was
so strong that they were caught before they were
well aware of it. One Of her friends, she said,
had been in England, and knew the effect of our
wines; and so when he put the glass to his
mouth, ne let the wine run down into his vest, for
he must (" per forza y pretend TO drink. Here
she put on such do!orous look and passed her
hands down her dress to show the way the
wine flowed into the poor fellows bosom with
such inimitable naivete that | burst into an in
comfortable fit OF laughter.
This same naivete of manner extends itself
everywhere. If you meet a beautiful peasant
girl, and bow to her, she shows one Of the finest
set of teethin the world, and laughs in the most
perfect good humor. AS / was once coming
down from Mount Vesuvius, | passed an Italian
lady with her husband, who by their attendants
took for persons of distinction. had an immense
stick in nv hand, with which had descended
into ther crate. AS rode slowly by, she turned
to me in the pleasantest manner, and SAID ma un
grande bastone, sgnore,' (you have got large
cane sir) certainly did not respect her less for
her "orwardness'm (civility,) but on the contrary
felt would have gone any length to have served
her.
Indeed, this same freedom from the ridiculous
frigidity, which in my country is thought an in
dispensable safeguard to virtue, is found every
where in Europe. II has given me, when soil
tary stranger, many happy hour on the Rhine,
and on the Mediterranean. Passing once from
Civta Vecchia to Naples, in a steamer, on one of
the most beautiful moonlight nights that ever
slept on the blue Mediterranean, formed an ac-
uuaintance shall always remember. A Russian
baron and lady, and pretty young Finlandcse,
his niece, were on board. The old gentleman and
his niece were sitting on deck enjoying the moon
light, and looking off on the shores Of Italy and the
islands past which we were speeding like spirit;
while was slowly pacing backwards and for
wards, thinking now of the sky, was under, and
now of the far home on which a colder moonlight
was sleeping. The old baron soon accosted me,
and after short conversation | resumed my
walk Soon after we went into the cabin ihort
time, when passing by the Finlandess, she ad-
dressed me so pleasantly andlady-ike, that was
perfectly charmed with her cvty. All, said
to myself, solitary stranger would have prone
naded the deck of vessel in my latherland long,
before one Of my beautiful countrywomen would
have uttered word to cheer him, and make him
long after bless her in his heart.
There arc a great many scoundrelsi in the world,
but there are very few which lady cannot dis
tinguish from gentleman In the United States
there is nothing more painful to a stranger than
to be reminded (as he continually is) that he is
suspected.
The Italian has another attraction peculiar to
the beings of warm climes she possesses deeper
emotions than those of colder latitudes, while she
has less power to conceal them. The dark eye
flashes out its love or It's hatred as soon as felt;
and in its intense and passionate gaze is an elo-
quence that thrills deeper than any language
She is being all passion, which gives poetry to
her movements, looks, and words. 1t has made
her land the land of song, and herself an object
Of iaterest the world over. A beautiful eye and
eyebrow are more frequently met here than at
home. The brow is peculiarly beautful-not
merely from its regularity, but singular hexbity.
1t will laugh of itself, and the slight arch always
heralds and utters beforehand the piquant thing
the tongue is about to utter and then she laughs
so sweetly. Your Italian knows how to laugh and,
by the way, she knows how to walk, which an
American lady does not. An American lady walks
better than an English woman, who steps like
grenadicr, but still she walks badly. Her move
ment wants grace.
Yet notwithstanding all this, beauty is more
common at home than here. | will not speak Of
moral qualities, for here the dark eyed beauty"
of Italy must lose in comparison; and indeed,
with all her passionate nature, do not think her
capable Of SO lasting affection as an American.
1t is hercer, wilder, but more changeable.
But must close. wished to have stroke
at our gentleman at home, bat have not room.
AS a mass, the strollers down Broadway are per
feet barbarians in manners. Every man acts as
if be was afraid his rights would be infringed
upon, or somebody would question his personal.
lmportance-and then such mods as familiar ac-
quaintances give each other Here they would be
be noticed by the police, and sharp lookout kept
in expectation of some s,iletto scene. The ex-
treme civility here is not thing Of trifiing no.
mcnt, nor indeed any where 1t does more than
any one thing to make men feel kindly towards
each other, and saves a hundred broils. An Ital
ian goes out Of his way, and valves his rights, to
show what a gcntlemanly regard he has for you.
An American will rather be rude than yield a
fraction, TO show you how much he thinks of
himself The result is extreme kindness of
manner here is universal, bat at home bluntncss.