The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1868-11-03
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my obserFauons went never saw any
either on mountain or valley in any
part Of New England My private i'm
preston is. making al allowance for
the influence Of dry air, that the pecul- (
lar paleness sf New England girls con
meets itself with too much metaphysics,
hot bread and pie. ] have strong con-
vietions on the subject Of pie Not 10
speak Of mere paleness, | don't see how
the Americans can reconcile 1t with
their notions Of what is due to the laws
Of nature, TO live to the age they do,
considering the amount Of pie they eat,
and the rapidity with which they eat it.
| don't remember that ever sat down
to a dinner in America, even in poor
mans house, without finding q PIE of
some kind--often of several kinds-on
the table; and without finding that ey-
erybody partook Of it, down to the mi
croscopic lady or gentleman whom we
shonld call the baby, Pie is indispens-
able. Take anythinS away but leave
pie. Americans can stand the prohibi-
tion OF all intoxicating drinks, but ut
tempt to prohibit pie. and you would
plunge America into revolution in a
day.
Then metaphysics In one family
which visited in the Connecticut val
ley, two Of the girls we're deep in the
study Of algebra and meta physics, as a
voluntary exercise, and shut themselves
up three hours day with Colenso, and
Sir William Hamilton, and Kant This
was, perhaps, exceptional but the New
England brain is very busy. 1t devel-
ops very soon and very fast, and begins
at an exceedingly early age to exercise
itself with the abtruser studies. Pa
rents and teachers often told me that
their difficulty, with the girls especial
| ly, was, not to get them urged on, but
to get them held back In one young
ladies seminary which l visited, they
were held hack with the following light
studies, in addition TO oil the ordinary
branches: Virgil and Horace, Latin
prose composition, anatomy and hy-
giene, moral philosophy, mental philos
ophy, and quadratic equations. To
this add pie and hot bred, and what
could you expect but paleness, even
among the mountains Of Ma nef
Paleness and pie Notwithstanding,
the American girls are very delightful.
And in one point they fairly surpass
the majority of English girls-they are
all educated and well-informed 1t is a
painful, but fear too incontroverti-
bic fact, that most OF the girls on this
side are very ignorant on general sub
jects. / don't blame them; | blame the
system of education. Some girls arc
fascinating, whether they are educated
or not; but TO be left alone, as one
sometimes is, with a girl who knows
nothing, in room with no piano, is
exceedingly embarrassing after the
weather has been exhausted. There is
never the same difficulty with the
American girls. The admirable edu-
cational system Of New England, COW
ering the whole area of society, has
given them education, whether they
be poor or rich; has furnished them
with a great deal of general informa-
ton, and has quickened their desire FOR
more. An American girl will talk with
you about anything, and feel lor what
has the same effect, seem to feel inter
est in it. Their tendency is perhaps to
talk too much, and TO talk beyond their
knowledge. With the cleyerer (or as
they wonld say themselves, the smart
er" Of them, ii seemed to me some
times to make no percptible difference
whether they knew anything Of the
subject talked about or not Mention
ing this feature Of American character
to Boston gentleman. be said: 1T is
true, / was struck in Enlgand with the
silence Of the people when they had
nothing TO say. One time, travelling in
the same carriage with a noblemAn, !
asked him his opinion OF the ballot
he replied, ! have not considered that
subject yet You might travel all over
America said my friend, "and never
hear . man say that" But American
girls generally know little Of every
thing and their general intelligence
and viyAcity make them very delight
full compEnions
4 had an idea before going out thai
The New England ladies spent their
time over intellectual pursuits 10 the
neglect Of household duties. ] did not
End il 90. Comparing class with class,
they are quits good hoasskeepers As /
have seen anywhere. They had need
be. for service 81 present Is in q very