Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1854-05-02
MISCELLAN EOUS.
GENTLEMEN AND LADIES.

VIRGINIA GENTLEMEN AND LADIES.
.o.esoondent of the Boston Transcript, writing from
Richmond, thus expresses him (r h.r) self as follows:
.yoo doubtless remember the song of "The Good Old
p,,i,sh GeoIIemap, all OF the Olden Time rendered cele.
hraied in The minslrelsy of Braham, Knight and Russell. II
! were devoted 10 the lyric muse, l think my song would be
of tina Virginia gentleman descended from the Cavaliers VI
old. There is something right gallant and noble in the true
penlleman of this Stute-him OF The ola regime especially;
there Is nothing dwarfed or s,unted, either In ms Inward or
outward growth; hale, hearty, and sta'wart ne IS, mentally
erd hodiIy. every inch a man. He does not hesitate TO
express a frank, manly, honest opinion; there Is nolhing OF
prevaricalion or concealment in his nature; ne is moi alfaio
r. walk with head erect, and TO meet his brother face to
face. The whole exterior of The Virginia gentleman is lar less
care. worn than that of his brother Of The North, even as his
mind is less subluga,ed 10 fashion and 10 the say OF Mrs.1run'
dy' OF good birth and equal breeding, he knows how he stands
in his own community, ana is not chary now ne recognizes
an inferior. lest he should lose caste or be thought a miracle
of condensation. What a contrast between such q one and
the aspiring Northern parvenu, who, uncertain OF ms own
position, fears 10 speak to his less fortunate brother 10 trade.
because, not having amassed sufficient property TO be able
TO tsIuk the SHOP he (Ihe latter has not felt authorized 10
cut his own Einsmen and sisters.
"The daughter, too, Of ,hi. old Virginia gentleman is like.
wise to the manor born her heart is not crusted over with
cold opyentionslities nor her soul snothered by any omnl-
present w%ordliness. She mas received the truesl Rlnd oil cui
lure 10 the education OF the heart and the bringing out OF
every attribute of The affections; her mind is a repository OF
useful learning, because her education has been founded upon
a knowledge of the best Enelish authors, and she knows no
thing-posiliyeIyn othing-of Eugene Sue or George Sand.
She may %perchauce be able 10 give you the Latin derivation
of az English word, but she does net sing in Italian. and would
not pretend 10 read German in the original text. When her
father enterlains company, does che know aught besides the
time to dress for dinner ond the art of attiring herself to
perfec,ion7 Here the affirmative is emphatic. From The
parret 10 the cellar she has the well-ordering OF all things,
aud Is equally at home in the pantry and larder. She is The
true child In earnest; nobly womanly 10 her nature-rehned
10 the whole tone of her education, and adapted 10 every
sense to be the rational company of man.
"What q comparison l might draw here between such q
laughter and that Of the new-made Northern millionaire,
VINO being born in Short street, or North street, or come
other obscure locality, scarcely knows how TO deport herself
under q new regime and with an ouerous burthen Of estate;
she calls her less fortunate sisters who are bgiter born and
more duly educated than herself, by the elegant name Of
u snobs"-cuts them behind her %sun.ehade when she reets
them on the pave, and betrays her own original dirt b. as.
sumiug hot.house airs, though many a one remembers that
she first saw the light herself from under a hedge lp the
words of a worthy satire:
"As a wild Il Iwer, ell would have owned II was fair
Aud praised il, tho saudier blossoms were there,
But when it assumed hot house airs, We see Though
The forced tin, Of lis leaves, and suspect that II grew
Undera hedge
1.-THE contract | have thus drawn is striking, and the ex
istence of these two extremes Of being arises from marked
differences of education, and the more rapid growth of one
State over another in wealth and population. But these
things will right themselves in course Of time. The scum
will rise TO the surface, the '%'snobbish' effervescence escape,
and extreme OF fashionable fooery find it's own level. There
is a ihaukwor,hy conservatism In that kind of good man.
mere which proceeds from true heartedpess and noble prin
ciple. which no modern Innovations can approach or paral-
IeID