Spirit of Jefferson. [volume] (Charles Town, Va. [W. Va.]) 1844-1948, 1866-06-19
Wee Women.

How very interesting it is to observe the
youth OF the present day There are no bows
and girls left That department., like tho
commlssary and whiggcry, has played out
they arc all miniature men and wee women
Boys have run to seed, in cigar smoke. pomp-
GUS struts, and brandy slngs; aud girls have
quite subsidized behind soft simpers, paper curls
and French fur-belows and fiounces. See
them entera church-young ladies from cie ht
to twelve springs-and it's enough to mako
the "spirit move" a. sOber-eyed Quaker 10
smile under his broad brim. Young Miss
goes up the aisle with hop and bob,
twist and a twirl, that makes her short skirts
shiver like Fourth of July flag in a spank
ing breeze, and enters pew with graceful
bow to some already arrived acquaintance,
spreads her ample silk skirts to their stretch,
and sinks languidly down, with cut Of her
eye across the way to see if some miniature
man or bachelor gray-bcard isn't watching
her with orbs of intense admiration and coyet-
business. He's there, just as she expected,
and her long lashes droop over her modest
eycs-to see if the pink bow on her bosom is
properly placed, and take shy peep into tho
dainty mirror so conveniently set in her fau
handle. All just to her mind, and she sits
ike Madonna, during service, with very fre-
quent askance glances towards the miniature
his manly fingers through his short, stiff hair,
with sundry startling squirts towards the near
est spittoon, to find himself an object Of such
fattering interest to the gaily attiTed young
lady not yet in her teens. He only wishes he
had real HAVANA and glass Of cham
paigne, that he might show to better advan-
tage to the bewitching young creature across
the way. They squint at each other all
through the long sweet sermon, of which they
can't tell you a word, at its close, and go home
"dreamiDg dreams no mortal ever dared to
dream before" the rise and progress of young
America-dreams Of tiny marriage rings,
household furniture of the latest and appr0v-
ed style, and slight sprinkliDg of small chips
ofthe old block.
But the wee woman at home is not whit
less entertaining than the wee woman abroad.
She enters the parlor with the self conscious
dignity of a queen, sets the heel of her right
foot into the instep of her left, forms a semi
circle with the right, then the s'left wheeP'
-crawfshing; dips, squats, shows her teeth,
slides, and swims off to the farthest sofa half
drops, halfeascs selfdown, CROSSES her small
jeweled hands systematically upon her belt
buckle, and sits like wax doll in a show vim
dow-afraid to be natural, lest she should
not appear womanly. Set her down to the
piano, with pair Of any-coIored whiskers
bending over her bare shoulders, or minia-
ture man, in very full TattlesDake pants, light
boots and Cape May diamonds, ready to turn
over the music leaves, and she'll give you
every note in the gamut, with all their varia-
tions, with good many unhcard-ofbefore,
thrown in gratis, till you'd think the bottom
of the cellar had dropped out and smashed
everything as it went. She sings like swan;
and you'd think she was in the last agonies of
dying one, but for the evident soundness of
the luDgs under those catch-me-quick eyes,
rolled SO far towards her brain pan that moth
ing is visible but the whites.
Wee women sit up till eleven and twelve at
night playing the amiable to miniature men
with large quids and small taIk-attend ballS,
concerts, theaters, etc., hanging to papa's arm
or some struggling young America, leaving
their lessons for tomorrow to learn themselves,
aud only so to bed at the small hours, with
hair skeWed up in bits of newspaper, to softly
dream of beardless or bewhiskcred sxeethearts
aud very speedy settlements in life
Field and FiTeSide.