Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1856-03-06
NO. 10.

ciety but to English tastes this mode of ex.
istence would be unbearable-continued
noise, hustle, and excitement, no repose of
mind and no home duties 1t is advanta-
geous to foreigner, who wishes to become
acquainted with the people of the country;
but I should suppose it must be ruinous to-
the manners and the domestic character of
the higher class of young women frivolity
and Incidence must be encouraged, for any
regular plan of industrial occupations is a
hopeless attempt in such places as these. I
would rather take up my abode in any farm.
house in England, than be condemned to
fritter away my life in agreat American ho-
tel. Still, for me, as stranger and q tray
eller, it is uncomnonly pleasant go
The Smithsonian Institute, and the dis.
pute about the application of the Smithso-
nian legacy, suggest to our tourist the idea
that we want "healthier ideas on the subject
of education, and an improved and more
practical female training" She remarks:
"In this country, I hear that though it
has no queen, all the women are queens. +
should rather call them playthings-dolls; y.
things treated as if they were unfit or unwil-
ling to help themselves brothers and while
we in England have nearly cast aside arts of
the toilet worthy only of dolls, I see here
false brows, false bloom, false hair, false ey.
erything not always, but too frequently
Dress in America, as an almost general rule,
is full Of extravaganza and artifciality; and ,
while women show such want of reliance
upon their native powers Of pleasing, their
influence in society will be more nominal
thar real" s = :
At Washington she meets with an inter.
esting family, natives of New Orleans, who
speak English with an accent ). but Miss
Murray prefers "our language little broken
to the broad and often nasal pronunciation
of New England and New York. The
Southern people have pleasing voices, and
are much less provincial in their speech, than
those of the Northern States"
Another observation respecting the Ameri-
can women, between whom and the slaves the
attention of Miss Murray seems to have been
nearly equally divided, and wesclose the
volume: *. IS
"Before leaving the Reindeer steamer, i
had some conversation with a sensible lady
from Chicago, who regretted the way in
which the great majority of American young
women are sacrificing health to vanity. She
agrees that it is not so much climate as ,bads
management which crowds the cemeteries
with early victims. An idea has gone forth
that fragility is interesting, and young ladies
almost cultivate ill-health!' She toldme that
standing at her own door one morning, she
observed three girls between twelve and
fourteen passing to school; it was damp
weather, and these children were lightly and
showily attired, with thin silk slippers, to set
off their feet to advantage-instead Of good
substantial boots. These kinds of absurdi-
ties are common in the United States. i
have found out a reason why ladies travelling
alone must be extravagantly dressed with
out that precaution, they meet with no atten-
tion and little civility-decidedly much less;
than in any other country. So here it is not
as aromen but as ladies, they are to be cared
for and this in Democratic America" J"