M'arthur Democrat. (McArthur, Vinton County, Ohio) 1853-1865, 1856-11-13
H(isttIIanraus SrtitIts.
From Life Illustrated.
The Women OF the south.

metrical and harmonious figures. In
this and in the ease and grace Oftheir
motions they excel the women of the
North. Many Of them dress with ex-
quisite taste, often very richly but
seldom gaudily or with any display Of
tinsel. .u r.-
The proverbial afability and urban
ity OF the southern character finds its
fullest developement in the women.
The southern lady is naturally and
necessarily easy, unembarrassed and
polite. You may go into the conn
try ; where you please; you may 90
as far as You please from town, village
or post-office you may call at the
poorest house You can find, provided
you do mot get among Crackers" or
"Sand- hillers," and whether You ac-
cost maid or matron, you will be an
swered with the same pOtttesse, and
treated with the some spontaneous
courtcsey. have often been struck
with the contrast between the daugh-
ters of the planters, who reside on
their plantations all the year and have
little communication with the city or
town, and those Of the New England
farmer. The latter are bashiul and
consequently awkward. They blush
and stammer in the presence Of stran-
gers, and know neither how to act nor
what tosay. The former, without be-
ing bold are perfectly selt-possessed
and graceful. They neither blush
nor stammer when a stranger unex-
pectedly presents himself, but do the
honors OF the house without embar-
rassment, and with a polish Of man.
ner that would do honor to Parisan.
We shall see presently that this is not
the only point Of contrast between the
country girls Of the south and those
of the north.
have said that in beauty Of form
the women of the south excel. They
have also, in a great majority of cases
finely chiseled, clear and symmetrical
features; and the dark hair and eyes
which we are accustomed to associate
with southern beauty, are often found
in all their perfection. But the com
plexion of southern ladies is very
generally bad. Their faces arc often
either very pale or very sallow. The
rich healthful glow which the sun
shine and the breeze give to the
cheeks Of New England's beautiful
daughters, is almost unknown there.
And that harmonious blending of car
nation of a healthful blood with the
tawny hue impaired by a southern
climate, of which the poet must have
been thinking when he said,
Give me the brown girl with the bright, sunny
glow,
and which was my idea of a southern
complexion, is not often found. lhave
seen my idea realized in a few instan-
ces, in creoles from Cuba, and once or
twice in the Cherokee country, in wo-
men in whose veins there was tinge
or Indian blood. | well remember a
young maiden OF sixteen or seventeen
summers, a perfect brunette, with jet
ty, shining tresses, a beautiful face and
dark eyes which we're truly fascinating
whom met at religious meeting in
a log school.house, in the Gold region
of Georgia. | forgot the text that
time, and the sermon | did not hear!
| was a bachelor then!
Doubtless the climate of the south
has a great influence upon the com.
plexiOn OF its people, but the extreme
and general paleness is, | think, ow-
ing in great measure to other causes,
the most prominent Of which is a bad
diet. When | tell you that pork is
the staple food of the people Of the
sonth, and that almost every other
kind of eatable is perfectly saturated
with the unctiOus secretiuns of the
vile quadruped the hog, l need say
nothing more. Pork should be look.
ed upon as an abomination every
where, and at the south its effects are
far more deleterious than at the north.
The men who take a great deal of ex.
eTcise in the open air-on horseback
and otherwise-do not feel so sensibly
the effects af this unwholesome diet.
The women take little exercise of any
kind, seldom 60 out except in their
carriages, keep their window blinds
carefully closed when the sun shines,
and actually wear gloves indoors wa
king and sleeping, to keep their white
hands delicate and soft Who won
ders that that they are palel
Southern women make loving
wives, and tender and afectionate
mothers, but are less intellectual than
their northern sisters. Their educa-
ton is generally very superficial
They 60 to fashionable seminary,
learn French, drawing and music, and
get smattering of the natural scien-
ces, but never learn to think. Here,
after all, is seen the greatest contrast
between the women Of the south and