The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1867-02-23
A True Lady.

The true lady Is unmistakably recognized
though not so easily described. She shows i
her every act dignity, q grace, a purity whic
| vulgarity cannot hope 10 counterfeit nor III
most irreveFeni fail 10 admire. Whether she
found In hovel or on n throne, there is that q
her character which will inspire respect, and ren
der her position unassailable. Cassandcr find
ing Olympias the mother Of Alexander, an oh
| stacle IN his approach to the throne OF Macedon
which bis ambition coveted, sent band Of assas
| sins 20 put her 10 death. hut when these har
| lcned wTetchcs found themselves Ia the prescnc,
oi this daughter wife, and mother Of kings, sucl
was the lofty majesty Of her nein that they
| could not raise an arm TO strike the fatal blow
With such defense every lady is supplied -
/ Villains who have long reyeled IN crime as II Il
were pastine will stand abashed in her pres
encc Like the tabled Una, she will move IL
her armor OF purity unharmed amid all tha
| could c0utaminRte and all that could mpefl
We may not, as We have said, describe tEu,
lady but we may name n few OF the characteris
Tics by which she is most prominently distinguish.
81 First among these is genuine refinement,
both of sentiment and manners. This will dis.
play itself IA the tidiness Of heg household ar.
| engagements, in lhe ncatness Of her dress aud Ia
the elegance Or her language. Many a shrew,
indeed keeps house with scrupulous nicely
many a woman, with not one attribute Of the
lady, dresses with b.illian; splendor and bound.
lesS cAiravagance many a yirago uses Ian
guase so utterly refined that she will employ
he most heightened periphrascs TO avoid yui-
sat expression but in all these instances there
is little danger 0; q mistake. We can tell the
home Of a lady almost as soon as we have pu,
foot on the threshold. 4 woman OF truly re-
iiaed tastes will make herself known as such
even 10 q casual observer. She will impart TO
The simplest details OF her household arrange
menis touches that will proclaim her apprccia-
,ion OF the beautiful. All things will bospeak
neatncss aud comfort but IN nothing will there
10 seen an effort at display Her dress will al.
ways he so appropriate 10 the occasion that it
viii appear we'll whether IL be calico or silk -
Her conversation will be chaste, but not falsely
modes, she will never shrink from speaking
right out ia good plain English anything that
ought &c &c spoken at all. She will never think
Of saying wicked things in French or Italian
and think their u2Rccomingncss lesseued by this
use OF another toAA
The lady is always unos,eniatious 10 her man
mere avoiding rather than cour,ing public OBJ
scrvaiion. She il polite 10 all no; hai siia
cold poliencs. which makes iis object feel quite
as unplea iant as fudencss would do but the gen
line poliieness which springs from benefeent
heart. There Is in her none Of that superciilious
pride which causes some 10 treat with disdain
those " ho are more plainly dressed or highly
educated than themselves. On the contrary, her
department toward those who are inferior 10 her
IN wealth and position Is especially kind with
out being oppressiycly patronizing Il is her
first aim to render all who come under her ini.u-
encc pleased with themselves This tact will en-
able her TO DO without either falsehCod or fia,ie-
ry Many bashfGl young man who, in general
society Is silent 10 the point Of stupidity, has
been surprised AZ finding his iimid,y entirely
banishcd aud his tongue loosenened into a ready
How ~ the potent spell oi an elcgan; lady.
with whom for the first time, lie has vcniured 10
converse. such g.ca; power can be exeried only
by those who have brilliant iniellccis Is well as
nob.e hearts but tie desire 10 make others hap
ny exists 10 every true lady
Hence she will be actively benevolent. What
ever good shc fad 20 10. sAe will enter into
will all the eacrgy OF her nature Her efforts
"ill Dc made wiihou: the Sounding ofa irumpc,
but they will not. therefore be the less efec,ual
IL the accomplishment; OF their ends Wherever
she finds one suffering under the lash Of adverse
fortune O. under the far moru cruel toe,ures
which sanicrous tongues infiici, she finds az
object O: charity, and flies with ready zeal TO
succot and 10 save. Even the " one more unfor-
tgnaic, who CONES like the Peri at the gate Of
Eden, with icaF-bcdewed face and heavey heart,
begging 10 hc readniied 10 society, receives
from her words Of encouragement and hope
The enterprises which aim az Amelioratng the
condition or clcyaiing the dignity OF her sex,
she supports with willing heart and ready hand.
But, however deep an interest she may feel In
extending schemes Of bcnevolenec, the true lady
viii never forge; her home or neglect her duty
10 is inmates. She will never, like Mrs. Jellaby,
render her household scene Of confusion and
misery in order that she may benefit the savages
Of Booriabola Ghah On the contrary, II she be
raised TO the sublime dignity Of wife and moth.
CT, she will deem her husband and children the
mos, precious OF her jewels and feel that in them
she exhibits 10 the world the noblest results OF
he II. - l..
.irtucs
Not only Is she benevolent ia deed-she is
likewise charitable in her opinions. She is not
given 10 slaniCf 10 jealousy. nor TO envy In
the petty in;rigues for social position and Rdvan-
,ageous matches she iakes no part. Though not
naughty. nor unduly proud, she is still too
proud to contend with the vulgar and grovcling
abogi matters which seem vastly momen,ons 20
ihier little minds. lfassailed, as she very likely
will he, she moves steadily on and let's the SLAM
let die. The tenor OF her life proclaims her pu-
rily. She needs no other defense The shafts
which ca!umuy would hutl agains her fall at her
feet as siraNs thrown agains, 'ho corslei OF a
scel-claa warrior
But u would require "a book instead OF u news
paper coiupiu did We attempt TO portray the
true lady ia all the fuilncss OF her beauty, mai
esly, and glory Much as we delight In the
theme, we have said enough to show that the
character Is toe brilliant 10 bc very frcqucnt.-
In Truth, the genuine lady is much more rarely
found thaa We could wish Numbers who have
many o. these elements are led as,ray by desire
10 follow lHc silly fashions OF the world. Others,
who have a great desire 10 be considerd ladies,
az, mistaken a. TO wha; is necessary to consti-
iaie that character II our remarks shall inspire
any one with higher appreciation OF this high
Is, type Of womanhood, or begei desire 10 at
tain 10 i;s cxcclencies, We shall feel abundantly
repaid for al the labor il has cos,