Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1853-1862, 1860-02-14
HOW English Duohe.ses and Countea.e.

/ EuCne9AES
Employ their Time.
The following extract from letter Of an English
traveller, who has had the best opportunity of OBJ
seryation in the first circles Of the United States
may surprise some of our idle fine ladies, if such
there be among our readers. 1t were well if a
noble emulation could be excited among our wo-
men to initiate what is worthy Of imitation in the
privileged classes abroad They would then food
the country with light and happiness, instead Of
| degrading it with poor copies from English and
French novels, and reproducing from parUega Paris
society foreign idesss and its cOEeomitants gossip
Irritation, and extrayagance
assure you that having lived in different castles
and manor houses of Great Britain and been accus-
toned to the industrious habits Of Duchesses and
COuntesses, utterly astonished at the idleness
of American fine ladies' No English Of
| rank, with the exception Of few paryenues, from
! the Queen downwards, would remain for one hour
unemployed, or sit in rocking chair unless seri-
ously i'll. They almost all, with hardly an excep-
ton copy the letters of business OF their husbands
fathers or brothers, attend mnutely to the wants
of the poor around them, and even take part IN
their amusements and sympathise in their sorrows
visit and superIntend the schools work IN the gar
dens see to their household concerns think about
their visitors look over their weekly accounts not
only of domestic expenses, but often those Of the
farm and estate manage penny clubs IN conJunc-
ton Will the working classes, to help them to keep
themselves and with all these occupations, by
early hours they keep up their acquaintance with
the literature and politics of the day, cultivate the
accomplishments of music and drawing, and often
acquire besides some knowledge Of scientific pur-
suits.
The late MarchOness of LansdOwne was so well
acquainted with the cOttagers in her neighborhood,
that she used TO visit and look the cOrpses Of the
dead because she found that her doing so sOOthed
and comforted the bereaved. I have known her to
shut herself up with a mad woman IN her poor
dwelling who used to lock the door, and could not
be induced to admit any one else Lady Lans-
downes only daughter used one hundred guiness,
(given her BY her father in-law, Lord Suffolk, to
buya braceet TO build pgsties with hs permission,
at her husbands little residence. She educates her
own children without assistance, teaches the boys
Latin and the girls all the useful branches Of edu-
cation The late Duchess of Bedford, l accidently
discovered, when on visit to Woburn, had for 30
years of her marriage life risen ut SIX O'Clock sum
mer and winter, lit her Own fire, made some tea for
the Duke and herself. and then he wrote his own
letters Of business, she copied them, and they came
down to large party of guests at 10 clock to dis
pense breakfast. without saying word of their ma
tutihary avOcatiOns; so that you might have been
visitor in the house without finding out that the
Duke and Duchess had transacted the necessary bu
siness of the day-before perhaps you had risen
rather mention these that gone To their reward,
than write of women stIll amongst US; but you may
believe me when / say that / am constantly amongst
those who live such lives OF energy and usefulness
but they so employ themselves without ostenta-
ton or idea that they doing more than their
simple duty.
A Profile of the Hon. Tom UOrwin.
"Nobody" the Washington correspondent Of the
T. Y Times thus sketches the member from the
Lebanon, Ohio, district:
Mr. COrwin is a large bodied and welLccnditioned
man. about five feet ten inches nigh; with short gray
hair: large hazel eyes, full of subtlety and humOr;
shaved and plump cheeks, Of fOTid, brunette COM
plexion; heavy gray eyebrows, which have the facul-
y of raising and falling extraordinary distance;
head very high and full in the upper region, hut
rather deficient in breadth across its base; large and
strong animal features. with welLshaped mouth to
match; double chin, thick throat, great variety Of
expression, and deep sivery voice, whichis to much
addicted to tragic whispers and stageasdes render
ing it difficult for him to be heard with dstinctness
in so large a room. As retailer of anecdotes Mr..
Corwin is without equal in COngress-pe
in the country His powers as an actor are Of tie
highest order, and he is too often tempted, by his
irresistible success as a humOrist to branch off
into little illustrative stories, which ratherr the
general effect of his serious elocutiOn. An accom-
pshed classical scholar and student the Ohio wagon
boy used to read Nirgils Bucolcs while driving
his team, thirty years ago. over the prairies; and
since that time, every step IN his upward course
has been made use of as atordng him larger op-
portunties for improvement. Now and then his
voice sWells with noble elOquence-more especially
when describing the Puritan at MarstOn Moor,
rushing on to sthe cry: The sword of the Lord and
Of Gideon But then again descends into some hu-
morous recital, so that none but those who crowd
around him on the floor hear what he ls saying.
1t is thought probable that should Sherman with
draw either Gov. Pennington or Gov. COrwin may
be nsed to fill his pace-the latter having an immense
prepOnderence of brains but suffering injury from
the passage which Hindman. of Arkansas quoted
few DAYS SINCE relative to the Mexicans .welcom-
ing the American invaders to hospitiable graves