Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1853-03-16
:
The Rule of American Ladies.


MADAME Pulsky, who, with her hus
band. formed part of the suite OF Kossuth
during his late progress through the Unite'
States has written out her American diary
which has been, or will soon be, issued iron
the press of Mr.. Redfeld. In the follow
ing passage she gives her view of the posi-
ton. and influence of American ladies' j
1T is common boast" writes Madame
"with American gentlemen, that their Ia
dies rule, and are more respected than any
where else in the world. l heard this Of
ten repeated in the society of New YORK
and inquired of gentleman, who was re-
peating this pet phrase, in what way they
ruled ; why, they have all they lke'
was the reply: they dress and go shop
pinc, and have not to care about anything
we even live in hotels to save them the
trouble of housekeeping i see observ'
ed |. syou are almost as courteous as the
Turks who allow their wives every amuse-
ment in their harems, and about the shops
whilst they attend to graver matters. The
elegantly.gided and painted parlours Of
your hotels, where the ladies meet to rock
awav time IN the easy rocking-chairs, are
admirable harems; but what has all this 10
do with Me rule Of your ladies' Even
granted that you accepted their Wlshes as
Commands, c still you are no Pashas, whose
whims claim obedience from the communl-
ty ; YOU yourselves, rule only by the active
5art YOU take in public affairs, s. doyou mean
10 saw YOU consult your ladies about these
matters well, not exactly answered
the gentleman; but (said he) a lady can
travel alone all over the States without dam
ger Of an insult, or unbecomlng behaviour
our daughters go often out, and are IN So
cietv without their mothers-every man is
their natural protector Quite as in Iur-
kew replied l /; mo man, not even the nus, l,1 :,
band. would ever dare to follow his yelled
ladv in the streets, and if he sees slipper
before the door of her room, the sign that
another lady visits her, not even the Pasha
.presumes to intrude. And, as to the tray
els of the unprotected ladies, they are per-
haps less. frequent iE Europe than America
but the manners and customs Of our age
protect them as efficiently in the Old as IN
The New World. All the difference per,
haps is, that the morality Of the United
States is more sterling than in France and
italy. or in the capitals of Austria and Rus
sia, and therefore, hirtations with married
ladies' are unheard Of But in Europe,
he said, women even work in the fields.
and they must assist the husbands TO earn
subsistence for their families with us even
in the factories, the girls work until they
marry, but once married, the maintenance
of the family is the care of the husband,
and an American farmer would feel degra-
ded. if his wife or daughter should hoe the
corn or break the flax Of course, read
lily acknowledged, that owing to the greater
facilities of earning livelihood, the Wo-
men of the lower classes were much better
off than in Europe, but did not understand
in what way the respect for the fair sex is
connected with this fact. The gentleman
turned to other topics sought intorma-
tior on the other. side, and understood from
some very intellectual ladies, that their
lords, in general, little consult the opinions
of their female rulers, even as concerns
their own private affairs. learnt that it
occurs bat too often, that lady who be-
lieves herself to be in afluent circumstan-
ces, is suddenly informed by her husband
that they must give up housekeeping, be-
cause they cannot afford 1t. 1t appears al as
if the gentlemen would atone for their all
absorbing passion fer business, blythe priv
lege they give to the ladies of idling their
time away. And as business is passion
With the Americans-as business is with
them not the means, but the very life oi
existence, they are most anxious 10 keep
this department exclusively to themselves
and. well aware that there is no more IN
fallble way to secure non-interferenoe.
than by giving the general impression that
they never act for themselves, The ladies
rule has, become current phrase, but by
no means fact, in the United States"
RAzoRs.-Barbers often tell us that razor'
qel fired of shaving, but if laid by for twenty