The Abbeville banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1847-1869, 1860-01-12
INDUSTRY OF ENGLISH LADIES.

ter of an English traveller who has had the
best opportunities of observation in the
first circles of the United States, may sur
prise some Of our fine ladies, if any such
there be among our readers:
1t was well if mobile emulation could
be excited among our women to initiate
what is worthy of imitation in the privil-
edged classes abroad. They would then
flood their county with light and happiness
instead of degrading it with poor copies
from English and French novels, and re-
producing from parvenu Paris society Cor
eign id!eness and it's concomitants-gossp
Irritation and extravaganza.
| can assure you that having lived all
my life about in the different castles and
manor houses of Great Britain, and having
Lcen accustomed to the industrious habits
Of Ducthcsses and Countcsses, l was utterly
as,onishcd ut the idleness Of American fine
ladies' ! No English woman of rank with
the exception Of II few parverus) from the
queen downward, would remain for one
half hour unemployed or sit in rockin?
chair unless seriously i'll. They almost all,
with hardly an exception copy the letters
of business Of their husbands, fathers or
brothers attend minutely to the wants of
the p 'or around them, and even take part
in their amusemcnts; and sympathiSe with
their sorrows; visit and superntenI the
school work in their own gardens; see
to their own household concerns think
about their visitors; look over the weekly
accounts, not only of domestic expense, but
often those Of the farm and the estate :;
many penny clubs in conjunction with the
working classes to help them keep them
selves; and with all these occupations, by
early hours, they keep up their acquaintance
with the literature and politics Of the day,
and cultivate the accomplishments Of music
and drawing, and often acquire, besides,
some knowledge Of literary pursuits.
The late Marchioncss of Lanslownc was
50 well acquainted with the co.tagets in
the ncighborhood that she used TO visit
and look at the corpscs Of the dead, he
cause she found that her doing so sootheI
and comforted the hercavcd. | have known
her to shut herself up with mad woman
in her poor dwelling, who used to lock the
door, and could not he induced to admi,
any one else. Lady Lansdowne's only
daughter used one hundred guineas (.iven
her by her father law, Lo,d Suffulk. 10
buy hr"celet.) to build pig sites, with his
permlssIon ut her husbands little country
residence. She educated her own children
without assistance, teaching lie boys Latin
and the girls all the usual branches of edu-
cation.
The late Duchess Of Bedford, aociden
tally discovered when on IL visit to Woburp.
had for thirty years of married life. risen
at 9 o'clock summer and winter. lii her
own tire, made some tea for the Duke and
herself, and tlien, ms lie wrote his own LOT.
'efs OF business, she copied them, and :heu
came down to large party of guests a,
10 o'clock to dispense breakfast, without
saying one word Of their mattitir,ary avoca
tons. so that you light have been visitor
in the house without finding out that the
Duke and Duchess had transacted the ne.
cessary business Of the day-before you
perhaps had risen.
rather mention those who are gone to
their reward, than write of women still
amongst us, but you may believe me, when
say that am constantly among those
who live such lives of energy and useful
ness-but they SO apply themselves with.
out ostentation, or an idea that they are
doing more than their SIMPLE duty.
A late number Of tile Westminster Re-
I