The Portsmouth inquirer. [volume] (Portsmouth, O. [Ohio]) 1849-1855, 1851-05-12
MISCELLANEOUS.
English Women in the Country.

The Horticulturist, for March, contains
another Of Mr.. Downing's agreeable letters
from England, from which we make the fol-
lowing extract: .sd N4
There are other guests in the house-Sir
Charles M, Lady p, some Irish ladies
without titles. (but SO rich in natural gifts as
to make one feel the poverty of mere rank,
and acharming family ofgrown up daughters.
1t would be difficult, perhaps, to have a
better opportunity to judge Of the life of the
educated middle class of this country, than
in such homes as this. And what impress
ions do such examples make upon my mind,
you will ask? ] will tell you, (not without
remembering how many fair young readers
you have at home.) The young English
woman is less conspicuously accomplished
than our young women of the same position
in America.
There is, perhaps, a little less of that je ne
sais quoi-that nameless grace which capti-
Yates at first sight-than with us, but bet
ter and more solid education, more disciple
ned minds, and above all, more common
sense. In the whole art of conversation, in
cluuing all the important topics of the day,
with so much of politics as makes woman
really companion for an intelligent man in
his serious thoughts, in history, language and
practical knowledge of the duties of social
ard domestic life, the English women have,
l imagine, few superiors.
But what, perhaps, would strike one of our
young men most, in English society, would
be the thorough cultivation and refinement
that exists here, along with theabsence of all
false delicacy. The fondness of English
women (even in the highest rank) for out
of-door life, horses, dogs, fine cattle, animals
Of all kinds-for their grounds, and in short
everything that belongs to their homes-their
real, unaffected knowledge of and pleasure
in these things, and the unreseryed way in
which they talk. about them, would startle
some Of my young friends at home, who are
educated in the fashionable boarding school
of Madame -, to consider all such
things "vulgar,"s and ''unladylike." | ac-
companied the younger members Of the fam
lily here this morning, in an exploration OF
the mysteries of the place. No sooner did
we make our appearance out of doors,
than we were saluted by dogs Of all degrees
and each had the honor Of an interview and
personal reception, which seemed TO be pro
ductive of pleasure on both sides. g,s
Then some of the horses were brought oui
of thestable and parley took place between
them and their fair mistresses; some favorite
cows were to be petted and looked after, ant
their goolA points were descanted on viii
knowledge and discrimination; and there
was the bassc cour with its various popula
ton, all discussed and shown with such live.
/ ly unaffected interest, that soon saw m,
fair companions were "born to love pigs anc
chickens"
have said nothing about the garden, be
cause you know it is especially the lady.
province here. An English woman with NJ
taste forgardening, woulo be as great mar
i.vel as an angel without wings. And now
were these fresh,looking girls, who have 81
Thoroughly entered into these rustic enjoy
ments, mere country lasses and dear maids
BY mo- means. They will converse will
you in three or four languages; are thorough
/ ly well grounded in modern literature; sketcl
from nature with the ease of professional ar
lists, and will sit down to the piano-fort
and give you an old ballad or the very fines
German or Italian music, as your taste ma,
dictate. And yet many Of young coun
trywomen Of their age, whose education
wholly intended for the drawing room il
far below whatI have here described, woull
have half tainted with terror, and half blush
ed with false delicacy, twenty times in tn
course of the morning, with the discussion
of the farm-yard, meadow and stables
which properly belong to wholesale countr,
life, and are not in the slightest degree atva
Rance with real delicacy and refinement.
very well know that there are many sensibly
educated young women at home who hav,
the same breadth Of cultivation, and tn
same variety Of resources, that make th
English women such truly agreeable com
panions: but alas, also know that there ar
many whose beau ideal is bounded bya cir
| Gle that contains the latest fashionable dane
for the feet, the latest fashionable novel 70
the head, and the latest fashionable fame.
work for the fingers.
~ --~-~~>~~~~->>>s>~-,.. --y~----s 3, q. t.e