Nashville daily patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1855-1857, 1856-11-26

ent virtues of fine bonnet or shawl, and men just
enough to enable them to cheat one smother every
day in the week, and gloss il over with long face
on Sundaysr
! Curran, speaking Of Madame de Stael, who was
by no means handsome, but splendid conversa-
tonalist, said that she chad the power of talking
herself into beauty" Do we 6Bd many such among
us? We have numbers of talkers,-some brilliant
ones too, but they not coed conversationaliss.
To be assured, that as a class our young ladies
deficient either in conversational gifts, culture
have but 10 look around at the evening assem-
blee. We see there DO Robespierre who stands all
night behind the chair Of Madame Roland, drink
ing in her eloquence with every deep inspiration,
and the next day in the Chamber giving voice TO
her ideas as though they wherehis own. No; here
dancing, music, cards the sumptuous entertainment,
all are patronized in preference to conversation;
and though everybody is doing their prettiest to
seem enraptured, transported, enthused, their for
ced merriment and i'll concealed ennui, their lapses
into apathy, and the general rcsessness of manner
all attest their WEAKNESS and the insipidty of the
occasion. How different the conversations of the
Italian, the breakfast" Of the English, the social
soiree OF the French. We soon forget all the grand
"parties" we have ever attended, and yet some
casual conversation on the promenade deck of
steamer, some story told BY pleasant stranger in
a stagecoach, or railcar, we remember for years,
ever thinking kindly of the narrator.
But let US not be too severe upon our young la
dies;-the fact is that society now existing calls
for little more than they are educated to give. 1t
requires only commonplace, and that they quail
fled to bestow. In its tactics there is a certain
diplomacy which prevents anything ike a sincere
utterance of ones sentiments and opinions, even
should one happen to possess them. To be "agree-
able" is the only idea of fashion, and must have
faith in our auditor as well as confidence and sim
certify in ourselves before we can dare attempt
free utterance. How it would astonish the world of
fashion in which you move, if you were to for
get yourself far to say anything very earnest
very sincere or very eloquent You would soon
be only tolerated and characterized with an ex
pressive sbrug of the shoulders, as ''original"
No. vanity is the only feeling you can address with
safety, and for this reason the skilful tactcian will
win the worlds smile where the gifted soul too
proud to "stoop to conquer" must inevitably fail.
Let 1t not be thought that while thus attempt
to point out TO thinking woman the errors in her
system of education, that say the fault is all her
own, or that point to the prevailing systems of
male education, and call them sound in contradis>
tinction with hers. No, no, thousand times NO!
Man has been as much, if not more to blame in
bringing about the existing state of affairs and if
l. woman, find fault with my sister-woman, and
points out her errors, it is neither his province
his right, to follow my example. If he should de-
sire to find faults !" let him, to use homely phrase,
"look at home" he will find abundance, and with
but little research. Let him not be SO over anx1
ious to extract the mole from his sisters eye until
he has taken the beam from his own. In the words
of an eminent writer, -"Above all, let not men
practice on woman the perpetual and shameful false.
hood OF pretending admiration and acting contempt.
Let them not exhaust their kindness in adorning
her person, and ask in return the humiliation of her
soul. Let them not assent to her every opinion, as
If she were not stroug enough to maintain it against
opposition; nor yet manufacture opinion for her,
an0 FORCE IL on 10 ueT ups ny uICtatlOus Lei LHeW
not cruelty her emotions, ridicule her fraity,
nor crush her individuality, nor insult her de2en-
dehce nor play off mean jests upon her honor in
convivial companies, nor handy unclean doubts OF
her, as wretched substitute for wit; nor whisper
vulgar suspicious other parity, which, as compared
with their own, is like the immaculate wilderness of
angels. Let them remember that, for the CHASTITY
spectacle of her blasted chastity they answera
BILE. Let them multiply her social advantages, en-
nance her dignity minister her to intelligence, and
by manly genteness, be the champions of her gen
Jus, the friends of her fortunes and the equals, If
then can of her heartn