The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-21
For the Sunday Crescenll
TO GRACE AND MARY.

Whewi oh, ye gods and little fishes )" what
hornets aest I've raised about my ears withou
intending il: Nay, with the best of intentions die
i pen my article TO the young ladies, and am
living demonstration of the saying:
Sc Give every man thine ear, but few thy voice,
Take each mans censure, bat reserve thy judg
nedt.Y
Nov .hny good friends (rnay venture 80 10 cal
your lido not think thar you have made out You,
case, wsth all your dndiDg fault with me and
clubbing my poor address to the young ladies
unchiyalfous," etc. You do not refute nv
statement, nor do yo1 find good excuses for the
general ignorance Of the lsdies, the young es.
pecislly, in regard TO sterling English literature
You content yourselves with finding fault with
me and with my poor friend, who is furious a,
the hard names you call him, and nothing has
saved me from dire vengeance at his hands but
the fact That only be and / are cognizant of his
identity with the horrid, crusty old pest, the
animal, inplumis bipes," etc. As 1t is, fear he
viii be p more confirmed misogynist than ever,
though you are in the wrong about his being an
"old bachelor" he is a widower who has had
the good luck to bury bad wife.
| really was at a loss, last Sunday morning.
upon reading Grace's letter in the CRESCENT. to
q csstigstion; but when picked up the Times
snd saw. Msry's onslaught, was like the French.
msn Of notable memory. al must put a stop 10
this" sr,ed "let me get last Sundays CREs.
oBNr aud soc what terrible high treason I've
been guilty Of )" and out rushed for copy Of
it, astonishing the clerk in the Office very much
by such demand when there were later papers
TO be hsd and really can't see that / was much
out IN what said.
Grace nccuses me Of lifting the veil which
covers the sanctuary of domestic conversation"
and advises me to go out by myself next time, in.
stead Of tong with that horrid pest" She is
much mistaken II she thinks never 60 out By my.
self, assure hsr. bat it isn'tto gauge the depths
of ladies' reading. / go for amusement ana re.
recreation and don't often care to test the mental
ability Of aretty butterflies that utter round me or
those occasions; but deny in toto the soft i'm
peachmel. about unveiling; did not trench upon
domestie,ty. We made our rounds where the ladies
are exp-essly gotten up TO shine, and have their
lamps tIitmed and burning, ss rule that we did
not find many lamps very bright was onr loss, not
our fault
In making up my list, did not entirely allure
prose writer's find, though ! did give the pre-
ference TO poetry, from the fact that girls are
more autto take 20 that style of reading. knew
that 70 mention johnson, Buckle, Cousins, Berke-
ly, Bacon, ETC., would be to brighten past recall
the pretty birds, and therefore chose such writer's
woudprove most attractive, and left IL to their
infuencelto lead on to yet moro solid reading.
But so fat from eschewing Moore, am an ardent
sdmirer Sf his works, and think that he is without
parallel Ia depicting love and Grace can be no
more fevotee st passions shrine than Is her
humble 5ervent Claire" Yet / cannot say |
should eisctly choose Don Juan or Moore's love
poems fos the reading of my young daughters
were 81 blest as 20 have any; aud though do
lot doubt the female cspability Of discriminating
between" gems and glass, moro especially if in
articles % o1outerie; there Is but little need OF
TIE opportunity being given 10 the young.
Nov. Gear ladies', with all your defense of the
young ladies, prompted By your fe5te dst sexe
alone suppose. do you not thint Il would be bet
Ter 10 iaiIly look the truth IA the face and call
their attention TO the fact o. their ignorance, and
in g gentle manner advocate their Striving 10 cut
tivate taste for readp,y Of a nature that would
improve and strengthen their minds and make
them mere fitted tcI their duties at home as wives
and n5 hers, and in society as It's ornaments? |
can oaiy say IN conclusion that though bow with
all uue humility to your censure, as courtesy to
your sex demands, cannot cry peccGui, for do
not think have snned in my lecture TO the young
ladies' and feel grsted to fnd that have succeed
cd staring up two ~ least well acquainted with
classic lore as 10 relieve them from my censure
fou Wil permit me lone word MORE" a. minis.
tiers always say when they intend fifty; tits this:
am more than astonished at the penetration you
displayed IN discovering my sex for / really
thought had masked TO some purpose, but find,
like the ass under the lions skin, nv voice be-
trsyed me. Your humble servant and friend,
n