Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-07-15


scribed in foreign travel, as attained by people
ia possession of every means and appliance,
which our women will not undertake, sngle-
handed, in spite Of every proyidential indica-
ton 10 the contrary? Who ID not cogn zant
OF dinner parties invited, in which the lady OF
the house has figured successfully as cenfec-
toner, cook dining-rcom girl, and, lastly, rush
ed up stairs to battle her glowing cheeks
smooth her hair draw on satin dress and KID
gloves, and appear in the drawing room as II
nothing were the matter? Certainly, the I'M
daunted bravery Of our American females can
never enough be admired Other women can
play gracefully the head of the establishment;
but who, like them, could be head, hand, and
foot, all at once?
GAS have spoken Of stoves, will here re-
mark that have not yet seen one in England ;
neither, SO far as can remember, have seen
q house warmed by furnace. Bright coal
fires in CRATES of polished Steel are as yet the
lares and penatos of old England. IL am In
clined to mourn over any detection in my own
country, it is the closing up Of the cheerful
open fire, with its bright lights and dancing
shadows, and the planting on cur domestic
hearth Of that sullen, sitting gnome, the air
tight | agree with Hawthorne in thinking
the movement fatal to patriotism for who
would fight for an alright"
We must differ from Mrs. Stowe, as from
some other American tourists. During the
month or two we spent in London and Eng
land last summer, our attention was constantly
directed to the appearance of English women.
AT their operas in their parties, in their
churches, on the streets, and at their watering
places, we observed them critically, and Ger
tainly with favorable prepossessons; but we
could not see the Justice Of such contrast as
that presented in the foregoing extract. AS q
general rule, we have no hesitation in saying,
that American women, when married, retain
their good looks and their healthfulncss of ap-
pearance quite as long as the English. How
can wo help believing this, when on the single
street in which we live comprising some twenty
six residences, there are about ninety children,
ranging from one year to fifteen, and that their
mothers with one or two exceptions, arc large,
well-dovelopcd, fall-iormed, and healthy-look-
ing women without any Of those aDgularites
to which Mrs. Stowe alludes? Shall VIC be
pardoned for saying that their average weight
would be over one hundred and twenty, while
some of them would reach near one hundred
and forty? The truth is, in passing in review
before our minds eye, the married ladies of
our acquaintance throughout the country
they are not few-we must cay that fulness Of
form and fine health are the rule, angularty
and i'll health the exception. 1t is no dispar-
agement to English women to say that our
American women will suffer nothing by COM
parison with them at any stage Of life.
Mrs. Stowe will pardon us, but we are in
clinod to think that the superior quinquagesiInal
beauty of England, like its SURPRISING roast
beef is partly traditional.
MAcAULAY.
81 had met Macaulay before, but as you
have not, you will of course ask lady's first
question, How does he look g
@Well, my dear, SO far as relates to the mere
outward husk Of the soul, our engravers and
dagucrreotypists have done their work as we'll
as they usually do. The engravings that you
get in the best editions Of his works may be
considered, suppose, fair representation of
how he looks when he sits to have his picture
taken, which is generally very different from
People seem to forget, in taking hkcnesses, that
the features Of the face ere nothing but an
alphabet, and that dry, dead map Of per-
sons face gives no more idea how one looks
than the simple presentation of an alphabet
shows what there is 10 poem.
Macaulay's whole physique gives you the
impression Of great strength and stamina Of
constitution. He has the kind of frame which
we usually imagine as peculiarly English ;
short, stout, and firmly knit There is some
thing hearty in oil his demonstrations. He
speaks in that full, round, rolling voice, doep
from the chest, which we also conceive Of as
being moro common in England than America.
AS to his conversation it is just like his writing;
that is to say, it shows very strongly the same
qualities uf mind.
I'll was informed that he is famous for most
uncommon memory one Of those men to whom
it seems impossible TO forget thing once
read and he has read all sorts Of things that
can be thought Of in all languages. A gen.
tleman told me that he could repeat all the
Newgate literature, hanging ballads, last
speeches, and dying confessions; while his
knowledge Of Milton is 90 accute, that if his
poems were blotted out Of existence, they
might DO restored simply from his memory.
This same accurate knowledge extends to the
Latin and Greek classicp, and to much Of the
literature of modern Europe. Had nature been
required to make man to order for per-
feet historian, nothing better could have been
put together, especially since there is enough
Of the poetic FIRE included in the composition,
to fuse all these multiplied materials together,
and color the historical capitalization with
them.
"Macaulay is about fifty. He has never
married yet there are unmistakablc evidences,
in the breathings and aspects of the family
circle by whom he was surrounded, that the
social part il not wanting in his confirmation.
Some very charming young lady relative seem
Cd to think qnits NJ much Of their gifted uncle
as you might have done had he been yours.
Macaulay is celebrated as q controversial
list and, like Coleridge, Carlyle, and almost
every ono who enjoys this reputation, he has
sometimes been accused of not allowing peo-
pie their fair share 10 conversation. This