Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1857-12-25

| A TRAVELLING SCoTCHMAN's Book on THE UNITED
| SrATEs.-A Scotchman, by name James Sterling, has
just published book comprising the results of his
travel and observation through the United States in
1856. The author, after visiting Canada, took a
journey embracing almost all the important localities
in the United States States, east of the Rocky Noun
tains and in the meantime in the habit of writ
ing home to a friend, remarks upon the people and
country be was visiting. The social and political
condition Of the Southern States, however, par
ticulary interested him, and it is principally the
portion of his correspondence relating to them,
which, at the request of his friends, he has sub
mited to the public.
We give the following extract from this interest
ing gossiping work, which possesses local interest
to readers:
Extravaganza Of American W0mea.-The ladies of
New Orleans, like their sisters of New York, are
great dressers; Indeed the dresses of American
women generally at least Of the new-rich class, are
something fabulous in expense, taking into considera
ton the rank anu fortune of the and their
husbands. The dresses of ladies in New Orleans, l
told, land by New Orleans people,) often equal
in richness aud expense those of crowned heads
in Europe. What do you thing of creole lady's
dress powdered over with dismonds her husband
probably a cotton broker Ladies here think moth
ing ofexpending large proportion of the profits of
years trade in a few dresses. OF course we must
suppose that this is, in most cases, done with the
knoYlei ge and approval of the husband. lie works
or speculates and his wife wears the spold opiraa
There 10 some excuse, or, at least, explanation of
this, to astounding extravaganza, in the circum-
stances explained above Of American housekeeping
As rule the inhabitant Of an American city does
not keep house, He has DO opportunity, therefore
OF displaying his wealth, pdrUeRUe merchants
and manufacturers do, in fine houses, plate and I
equipages. Neither is there the passion for |
landed estates in America as with US. With land |
AZ FIVE shillings its possession cannot confer
social distinction. The New York stock jobber |
does not lay out el0O 900 on land at two per cent
o give him the eatres to the houses of half !
dozen neghbors, who drink his claret and laugh at
lim. he is making probably fifty, perhaps one
lundrei per cent per annum his capital, and all
his fast-gotten gain he can only display to the
Dublicin way, by cepping it on his wife's back
An Americans wife is the pegOn which he hangs out
his fortune; he dresses her up that men may see
Iis wealth: she is a walking advertisement of his
Importance, the sand wioh announcing to Broad
way or Canal street that her husband is a man Of
money and station. All this svery sorry work. but
do not see that it involves any greater absurdity
han those diplays of plate and upholstery, by
which our rich vugarisus announce their wealth,
nd hide their want of real refinement. If a sham
,tnjiiy il TO be set forth, it matters lutte whether
be done through the instrnmentality Of the up
olster or the milliueF. The Englishman loves his
ouse and he decks it out when ne makes money;
se American loves his wife, aud decks her ont for
lant of a house Neither have much to boast of
yer the Others it is the same vulgar osentation in
iherent forms