The Evansville daily journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ia. [i.e. Ind.]) 1848-1862, 1857-04-27
Feminine Virtue in the Frisid
Zane.

.Bayard Taylor, writing from Joxengr
in the Frigid Zone, on the 9th OF Janu-
ary, tells of nurse named Frederika,
who attended to his case while suffering
the horrors Of tooth-ache, and makes
some remarks on womankind in general,
in the paragraphs annexed:
This good hearted girl was genuine
specimen of the Northern Swedish fe-
male. OF medium height, plump, but
not stout. with rather slender waist aud
expansive hips, and foot which stepped
firmly and nimbly at the same time: she
was as cheerful body as one could wish
to see. Her hair was OF that silky blonde
so common in Sweden; her eyes clear,
pale blue, her nose straight and well
formed, her cheek Of the delicate pink Of
wild rose leef, and her teeth so white,
regular and perfect that | am sure they
would make her fortune in America. Al
ways cheerful kind and active, she had,
nevertheless hard time Of it; she was
alike cook, chambermaid and hostler, and
had cross mistress to boot. She made
our fires in the morning darkness and
brought us our early coffee while we yet
lay in bed, in accordance with the luxuri-
Gus habits of the Arctic Zone. Then,
until the last drunken guest was silent,
toward midnight, there was no respite
from labor. Although suffering from a
distressing cough, she had the outdoor as
well as the indoor duties to discharge,
and we saw her in sheepskin jacket,
harnessing horses in temperature Of 80
degrees below zero. The reward Of such
service was possibly about eight Amer
lean dollars a year. When, upon leaving
| gave her about as much as one Of our
hotel servants would expect for answer
ing a question, the poor girl was over
whelmed with gratitude, and even the
stern landlaay was so impressed by my
generosity, that she insisted on lending
us sheepskin for our feet, saying as We
were "good men"
There is something extremely primi-
tive and unsophisticated in the manners
of these Northern people--a staishtfor-
ward honesty, which takes the honesty
Of other people for granted-a latent
kindness and good will, which may at
first be overlooked because tits not dem
onstative, and total unconsciousness OF
what is called, in high cultivated society,
"propriety." The very freedom Of man
ners, which in some countries, might de-
note laxity OF morals, is here the evident
stamp Of their purity. The thought has
often REQUIRED to me--which is the most
truly pure and virginal nature. the fas-
tiiious American girl. who bushes at the
sight Of a pair OF boots outside OF gen.
tleman's bed room door, and who requires
that certain unoaending parts Of the body
and articles ofclothing should be distin
gui>hed by delicate circumlocutious terms
or the simple minded Swedish woman,
who comes into our bedrooms with coffee
and makes our fires while We get up and
dress. coming and going during all the
various stages OF the toilet, with the
frankest Inconsistencies ofimpropriety
This is modesty in its healthy and natu
raj ievelopement, not in those morbid
forms which suggest an imagination evel
on the alert for prurient images. Moth
ing has confirmed my impression o
the virtue of Northern Sweden more
than this fact, and have rarely felt NOR,
respect for woman or more faith in tn,
inherent purity Of her nature. .,.....