The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1854-08-26
ENGLISH AND AMERICAN WOMEN

, L'dv asked me this evening, what
. thouglit Of the beauty Of The ladies O. the
Eh"iiS'i ari>iocrac.: She waS Scotch lady.
10y The ly; so Tie question was fair one |
replied, that certainly report had no; cxac
ccra:cd their charms. Then came \ lcm,
i"r>;Ion-how the ladies of England com
pared with the ladies of America. Now for
n,ra',oti>m." said |. to myself: and inyoL
lng TO MY aid certain fair saints of nv own
country, whose faces !,l:>.inc;, remembered
told her that | had never seen more
beautiful women than | had in America
Grieved was | TO lie obliged to add. ..lut
Hour ladies keep their lcauty much later and
longer his 'act starcS one III the face in
every company: one meets ladies past fifty,
glowing. radiant and lloon.ing. with fresh
ness of complexion and tlllneSs of outline.
refreshing to comt,n,i,l.'c. What ca,. he the
reason: : Is it the conservative power of sea
fog> and coal >mokc-t!lc same causc ,b,,
keeps the turf green. and max, the holly and
ivy flourish How comes ii tlat orr mar
ricd ladies' Iwiudlr. fade, and crow thin
tha; their elbows incline 10 >l.arl nc>>. anl
their e!!owS to angular::v lust at the time OF
lite when their islaI! sisters ror,I,d ONT intn
comfortable and becoming amplitude ard tl-
ness? lfit is the fog and sea coal, wlv.;hcn.
I am afraid we never shall come IN with
them. But perhaps there riav he other
causes why a country which starts some Of
the most beautiful girls in The world. prolu-
cc> so few beautiful women.
Have not our close hral,! stove rooms
something to do with il: Have not the I'M
mcn>r amount OF hot biscuits, hot corn cakes.
and other compounds GOT up with the acrid
poison of salcratu>. >omc,ll;n. TO 10 with il
Above all. has not our climate, with its alter
nate extremes OF hca; and cold. a tendency 10
induce habits of in door incidence: Gil
mate, certainly. has great deal 70 do with
1t; ours is evidently more trying and more
eNhau>ing; and lcca,.>e 1t is ~ We should
not pale upon lis lack errors OF drc,. and
diet which are avo;'l"d hy our nci.hbors.-
They keep their beauty, because they keep
their health. |: has been as remarkable As
anything TO me, since have been here, ...at
do not constantly. as at home. hear one and
another spoken of as in reasonable health, as
very delicate &c. Health seems 10 be the
rule, not the exception. For my part Imust
say the most favorable omen that know Of
for female beauty in America is the multi
picaion of water cure establishments, where
our ladies', If they get nothing else, Go gain
some idea as to the necessity of fresh air,
regular exercise, simple diet, and the laws Of
hygiene in general. There is one thing
more that goes long way towards the con
tinued health of these English ladies, and
therefore towards their beauty; and that is, 9
the quietudc and perretuity of their domestic
institutions. They do not. like u.s. fade their :.
:heeks lying awake nights ruminating the 3,
awful question who shall do the washing
next week or who shall take the chamber G
maids place, who is going to be married, or
hat Of the cook, who has sisnificd her in II
ention ofparting with her mistress Their -
hospitality is never embarrassed by the con-
liberation that their whole kitchen cabinet p
nav desert at the moment that their guests
rrive. They are obliged to choose between III
'ashing their own dishes. or having their cut
lass. silver, and china left to the mercy of a r,
.reigner, who had never done anything but dc
eld work. And last. lot least, they are VI
OF possessed with that ambition to do the IA
npossiblc in all branches, which, I believe in
G - = u =.