New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1868-10-03
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
MODERN WOMEN.

an. unsavofy details of this volume would have
hssn spurued a. lbels on the wOmanhOod OF England,
had they been presented poturesoi the prevailing
manners ia that country by any foreign tourist No
French az American writer who bad enjoyed the hos
spttalites Of British household could have ventred
60 rscross its threshold after such carcature of the
national feminine character general howl 81 M
dignaton from every hearthstOne iii the land would
have compelled him 30 hide forever his dishonored
head. But the London Saturday Review Is too wei
known ~ a chartered libertine7 10 permit any inn
portance 10 be attached 10 its illusions. That bril-
liant but INSCRIPTIONS journal has attained certain
isgIacefu notOTiety by the reoessness of It's state
ments and the boldness of jts sophistnes. WITH 10
solicitude for the attainment, OF the expression oi
truth il aims at popular effect by The eloquent inter
ance OF paradox and would rather he guilty oil pal
pablo falsehoOd than fail of exciting astonismeht
by its cunning verbal illusions 1t parades plausl-
Bile show Of classical learning i'll support OF It's lSo-
lent pretensions, and brings dazAlng' Nh"ioh'
rhetoric TO the illustration of ITS hollow i"IiacieS'
But no dspay Of Intellectual wealth conceal IT'S
bankrnptcy of moral principle Beneath It's SHINING
exterior Won can discern glimpse of earnest con-
vietion no semblance of fairness candOr in argn-
ment no sign Of the rough manly honesty which we
have been wont 10 regard rs an attribute OF English
hnman nature Ii reminds yOu rather of the swell
and splendor of the prosperous eamester, radiant
Ia OstontatiOus artificial gold and diamonds but The
tinse ineTy of whose person does not disguise the
poverty Of his resources the falseness of his char
aoter The present volume consists Of series Of -
says in which that journal levels the shafts OF pol
ished biting satire against the fair fame of IFS
Oountrywomen, treating certain rare exceptional
eases rs the rule Of modern society, and bringing
examples of miraculous frivolity and shallovnc,s
the type of the English family This calumDiator Of
his ulpfhep lilite motley cOilsc-
ton of butterflies and hummng- birds with mia
fure Of waSps and hornets as the nohlcst specimens
he can gather of womanhOod on British soil. IN the
land of Mrs. Browning. Florence Nightingale, Miss
Carpenter Frances Power CObbe Harriet Martipeau,
Sarah Austin Mrs. Someryille and host OF glorious
women. whose names viii occur TO every reader, he
brings forth biz menagerie of chattcring monkeys
~ proof of The loftiest reach oil British civilization
at the present day
The (" Girl of the Period, as Described in those AN
lovely pOrInitures, Is creature vino dyes her haf
nd paints her face the first articles OF her per
eOna religion. Her sole idea OF life is plenty Of lux
;sty and fn. Her dress Is the exclusive object of
: whatever little thought intellect she possesses.
Whether, A. in the time of cTinOlines. she sacrificed
dSteney or as now in the time of trans, she sacu-
fees neutrality-suspicious. she makes herself q nui-
an inconvenience 10 every one she meets
her main endeayOr is TO OHtye her ncghbor> IN the
extravaeance Of fashion. As she dresses to please
herself she does il she displcases every body
else Nothing is too odd and out of the way Tor her
initiated taste Ii a sensible fashion lifts the gown
out of the mud, she raises hers midway Co her knee.
II the old bonnes Of wire AID buckran discarded
for something less dangerous to the eyes of ones
neighbor. she cuts hers down Ia four strawS snd
rosebud or a tag OF lace aud bunch OF glass beads.
With purity Of taste She has lost the purity and del
icacy Of cpton which form the most beautiful
protection for maldcnly innocence. SAo does not
even hesitate 10 initiate the fra sSterhOOd M then
frantic efforts To excite admiration. She envies the
queens Of that class far more than she abhors them
No one can say Of the modern English grl that she
is tender, loving. retiring, domestic Her Idle ol
marriage il only legal barter. IL l. oldiashoncd
girls alone that marry for love, put the husband
before The banker The girls Of modern England
but one remove nom class Of women whom
decent writer cannot call 10y their proper, on i'm
proper. name.
Nor does this slandcrous volume depict IN more
fstterng colors the present character of the English
Inatronage. society az u informs US, has put ma
teSRty OF fashion. In nine times out OF ten She
nursery is place OF punishment, not OF pleasure, 10
the modern mother. In the mad race after pleasure
and excitement with which English women are now
infatuated the tender duties Of motherhood have le-
come disagreeable restraints. With the more intel
lectna portion, maternity IS looked on as kind Of
degradation. Everything connected with then
characteristic duties loaed hateful necessity.
Bad as is the girl of The period her ind
more horrible trayesty IN the modern mairon. The
mothers 20 ahead Of THEN daughters and by the
force of their example and iheirryary The curse
of corruption broadcast where they were mcant 10
have only pure influence and To sci a wise eN-
ample.
In such glaring, eNtravagant color,, does this
volume delineate tie aspects of modern English
society in its most vital and essential features II
it's representations have any basis reality. and
not merely the humoIs Of morbid and malignant
fancy the doom OF the country IA which female
monsters have nsurDed the place OF ~ mothers and
msideDs is that of swift and certain pertion It,
crushed beneath a burden nore destructive ihah
the national debt OF Fenau rebellion But no clear
headed reader can give credeuco To- such wild
tions They are only the sport Of reckless ingenuity
which aims to siarlle the jadcd appetite for scn,a
ton by highly -spiced extmyasances. No one can
deny the piquaucy of many of the satlical tlnsts
which are the fayorte fence Of the writer but they
become wesrisome by perpetual repetition and az
last compel MS 10 lay down the volume IN intOlcrabe
safety and disgust
The Introductory Essay. Icy Mrs Calhoun is writ
ten in tone OF earnest feeling winch affords a re-
freshing contrast TO the nscheyous peIsage OF the
Volume She wisely appreciates the importance
Of the discussion concerning the position suld CLAIMS
Of woman though she does not intimate how tue
cause of female honor and dignity viii he advanced
by such grotesque eaTicatures Of the Her state
ments too, OF the condition Of fashionable women
are TO be taken with considerable !escrrye- 1t Is
doubtless true IN individual eases, that they care
more for dreary social prominence than for home
aud children but that this j. the prevailing character