American union. [volume] (Morgantown, Va. [W. Va.]) 1855-1859, 1859-02-11
S. SIEGFRIED, EDITOR.
n cEy.
EDUCATION OF ENGLISH GIRLS.
by REV. J. C. DoDwELL

HaEs bf KEW. j. g. BODwELL.
Step into Moseley's in Summer
street, and you will see one indication
ofa good time coming for our daughters
ladies boots, with soles of thickness
which it will cheer every mans heart
to look at-and fashionable too-the
very latest fashion! Now, is it not
matter for rejoicing, and even for devout
gratitude, that it is actually fashionable
for women to wear shoes which will
keep their feet dry and warm?
Our country women have long en-
dured great and cruel hardships in this
particular, compelled to wear so flimsy
an article as if all the shoemakers were
in league with consumption and death ;
while their husbands and brothers have
walked by them in boots which protect.
cd them from harm. This hardship and
cruel inequality of the sexes has been
national, as the custom of pinching the
feet of women has been peculiar to the
Chinese. European women have
worn all along the very same description
of boots and shoes which is now first
becoming fashionable with us, never
dreaming of anything else at all con-
sistent, with common sense. English
dutchesses have worn shoes from time
immemorial which our country misses
would have considered very vulgar
And 30 English dutchess have retain
cd their plumpness, and bloom, and
joyous health, to fifty and sixty years
of age, while our women have lost the
last rose before thirty, and have gone
in frightful numbers to an early grave.
This whole subject of the training of
our girls must undergo a thorough re.
vision. Many other things need look
ing after besides shoes. Our climate
has, unqucstionably, something to do
in transforming the round aud ruldr
Anglo Saxon lass to the pale and
slender miss of Boston and New York.
But sadly defective education does a
great deal more. The difference in the
training of English and American girls
begins IN the nursery, dating from the
hrst WeekS OF existence, and extend over
the entire period from Infancy torripe
womanhood. AS it is my desire to
furnish something that may be useful
rather than entertaining, Shall speak
very plainly and somewhat in detail.
One of the first maxims applied to
the management of both girls and boys
IN England is, in the words of one of
their old physicians, "Plcnty of fan.
mel, plenty Of milk, and plenty of
sleep. l am quite sure that great
many OF our young mothers do not
understand the importance of every
part of this maxim. does not require
professional eye to discern that many
an infant suffers from want of the fan.
mel, although the inexperienced moth.
er has no conception of it. Tie child
looks warm, and is warm to the touch,
but is irritable, restless, unable to sleep.
Were you never troubled through tile
night without knowing the reason, till
you awoke in the morning and found
that, though you had not had any
sense of chilliness, yet you had wanted
more covering to make you sleep quite
soundly? Infants require great deal
OF warmth, and cannot be healthy with
out it.
AS to food, every mother in England
understands that an infant must not
be fed with all kinds of trash-~gineer.
bread, cake, pie, &c. Nothing of the
Kind is permitted to be given to them.
The shops Of London groceries drug.
gists and pastry cooks---abound in
simple articles Of diet, prepared es.
pecially forinfants, ,as "biscait powder, :"
baked -four" stops and bottoms, !"
patent American -four" "arabica re.
velenta," &C., &c. "Pla;n, s;mple
and nutritious" is the rule here
Through the entire period Of childhood,
and even Of youth, the diet of the Eng.
lish girls is extremely simple. No tea
and coffee, no hot bread; indeed, it is
n very common rule in we'll ordered
English families, that no bread must
ecut, for old or young, till tho second
day from the baking, and very little Of
pastry or sweetmeats of any kind
Plain bread and milk, and fresh beef
md mutton, roasted or broilcd4-not
baked or fricd-~with plenty Of ycgc.