The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-17
OUR AMER (CAN GIRLS.
AS Seen Through scotch Eyes-PRIeneSS,
Pie, and Metaphysics Among the Girls
in the Connecticut valley.

AS Seen Through scotch Eyes-PRIeneSs,
Pie, and Metaphysics Among the Girls
in the Connecticut valley.
From the Danfet Macroe's Notes on america.
The paleness in the American girls, through
often beautiful, is too universal; an eye from
the old country begins to long for rosy
cheek Lowell said that color was a thing OF
climate, and that ! should find plenty of rosy
cheeks among the mountains of Maine, where
there is more moisture in the air. 1t may be
so | never got to her Maine mountains to see.
But as far as my observation went, never saw
any either ON mountain or valley in any part of
New England. My private impression is,
making all allowance for the influence of dry
air, that the peculiar paleness of the New
England girls connects itself with too much
metaphysics, hot bread, and pie.
have strong convictions on this subject Of
pie. Not to speak of mere paleness, l don't
see how the Americans can reconcile it 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 dinner in America, even
in a poor mans house, without finding pie of
some kind-often of several kinds-on the
table, and without finding that everybody par
took of it, down to the microscopic lady or
gentleman whom we should call the baby. Pie
is indispensable. Take anything away, but
leave pie. Americans can stand the prohibit
tion of all Intoxicating drinks, but attempt to
prohibit pie and you would plunge America
into revolution in day.
Then metaphysics In one family, which |
visited in the Connecticut Valley two of the
girls were deep in the study of algebra and
metaphysics, as a voluntary exercise, and shut
themselves up for three hours a day with Co.
lenso and Sir William Hamilton, and Kant
This was, perhaps, exceptional, but the New
England brain is very busy. 1t develops very
soon and very fast, and begins at an exceed
ipgly early age to exercise itself with the alb
struser studies. Parents and teachers often
told me that their difficulty with the girls
especially was not to get them urged on, but
to get them held back. In one young ladies'
seminary which visited they were held back
with the following light studies, in addition to
all the ordinary branches:-Virgl and Horace,
Latin prose composition, anatomy and hygiene,
moral philosophy, mental philosophy, and
quadratic equations. To this add pie and hot
bread, and what could you expect but pale
ness, even among the mountains Of Maine2
Paleness and pie Notwithstanding, the
American girls are very delightful. And in
one point they fairly surpsss the majority of
English girls-they are all educated and well
informed 1t is painful, but, l fear, a too
incontroverlible 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 are 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 American girls. The
admirable educational system Of New Eug-
land, covering the whole area of society, has
given the education, whether they be poor
or rich, has furnished them with great deal
OF general information, and has quickened
their desire for more.
An American girl will talk with you about
anything, and feel Cor what has the same
effect, seem to feel interest in it. Their ten
dency is, perhaps, to talk too muoh and to
talk beyond their knowledge. With the
cleverer Cor as they would say themselves
the "smarter'') of them, it seemed to me
sometimes to make no perceptible difference
whether they knew anything OF the subject
they talked about or not. Mentioning this
feature of American character to a Boston
gentleman, he ssid;-"It is true 1 was struck
in England with the silence of the people when
they had nothing to say. One time, travel
ling in the same carriage with nobeman,
asked him his opinion of the ballot. He
replied, Il have not considered that subject
yet.' You might travel all over America
said my friend, "spd never hear a man say
that" But the American girls generally
know little of everything, and their general
intelligence and vivacity make them very de-
hghtful companions.
had an idea before going out that the New
England ladies spent time over intellectual
pursuits to the neglect OF household duties.
did not find it SO. Comparing class with class,
they are quite as good housekeepers as have
seen anywhere. They had need be, for ser.
vice at present is in a very wretched condition
in America; so much so that middle class
families in the country often dispense with
servants altogether. The young ladies car
make beds as we'll as demonstrate PROPOSE
tions, and their mental philosophy, whatever
it amounts to, never interferes with the per
fection of the pies. Samuel Johnson used t.
say that a man would rather that his wifi
should be able to cook a good dinner thai
read Creek But he does not seem to hav
anticipated time when woman could lear
TO do both.