Semi-weekly standard. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1853-18??, 1860-07-18

INDUSTRY OF ENGLISH LADIEs.-The following OK
tract from recent letter of English traveller who
has had the best opportunity of observation in the
first circles of the United States may surprise some
Of our fine bellies, If any such there be among our
readers.
1t were well if noble emulation could be excited
among our women to initiate what is worthy Of imi-
tation in the privileged classes abroad They would
then food their country with light and happiness,
instead of degrading it with poor copies from Eng
land and French novels, AMI reproducing from par
venu Paris society," foreign ideness and its concom-
itants-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 been accustomed to the
Industrious habits of ducheSses and countesses was
utterly astonished at the idleness of American fine
ladies' No English woman Of rank with the ex-
ception of few parvenuS) from the Queen down.
wards would remain for one-half hour unemployed,
sit in rocking chair unless seriously i'll. They
almost all with hardly an exception, copy the let
tiers of business of their husbands fathers broth
ers; attend infinitely to the wants of the poor
around them, and even take part in their amuse-
ments, and sympathies with their sorrows; visit
and superintend the schools; work in their own
gardens; see to their household concerns think
about their visitors; look the weekly accounts
not only those of domestic expense but often those
of the farm and the estate; many penny clubs in
keep themselves 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 Of.
ten acquire, besides, some knowledge of literary
pursuits
The late Warehouses of Lansdowne was so well
acquainted with the cottagers in the 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 | 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-
downe's only daughter used one hundred guneas,
(given to her by her fatherin-law Lord Suffolk to
buy bracelet to build pig sties with his permits
sion at her husbands little country residence. She
educated her children without assistance teach
ing the boys Latin, and the girls all the usual
branches of education.
The late Duchess of Bedford, I accidentally dis
covered, when on a visit to Woburn had for thirty
| years of married life risen at o'clock summer and
winter lit her fire, made some tea for the Duke
and herself and them he wrote his own letters Of
business she copied Them and then came down to
a large party of guests at 10 o'clock to dispense
| breakfast without saying one word of their matu.
tinary ayocations so that you might have been a
visitor in the house without finding out that the
Duke and Duchess had transacted the necessary
business of the day-before you perhaps, had risen.
l rather mention those who have gone to their re
ward, than write of women still amongst us; but
you may believe me when say that am constant
ly among those who live such lives of energy and
usefulness-but they so apply themselves without
ostentation, or an idea that they are doing more
than their simple duty.