The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-02-14

Will you permit me, Mr.. Editor, to use your
columns TO defend my sex from few insinus-
tons of your correspondent "Clsire" on last Sun
day From the manner in which "Clsire" attacks
young ladies, and draws the veil which covers
the sanctuary of family conversation, judge that
your correspondent Is gentleman, and, conse-
quently feel considerable difidence in writing
this, lest should incur his geDtlemsnly displea-
sure. Ny duty to my sex prompts me, however,
and trust l shall not be considered unwomanly
or "blue-stocking"
! admit. freely. that the generality Of young
ladies not intelligent and learned. But intslli-
gence 10 not universal in the world, and they are
only very small fraction OF the great mass of the
worlds inhabitants who have learning in such an
extended way as "Clairs" would have. All
minds are not endowed with intelligence, flor
look upon intelligence as an endowment,) and
every young lady is not constituted so to drink
deep drsughts from learning's fount nor has
every sensible young lady the same taste for
poetry which seems to govern "Mr. Claire" Yet
fdon'tthink one who has not poetic. or even liter
airy taste, should be considered on that account
deficient in intelligence.
have made o candid admission OF part OF Mr..
Clsire's" accusation, and will now endesvor to
show how difficult IL was for him to come TO his
conclusions In the manner in which he did. !
Judge, from the description which he gives of his
friend, that the latter is one of those horrid,
"cTusty" old bachelors who are the pests of every
circle, and who are constantly railing in man.
ner painfully suggestive of "sour grapes" II
my opinion is correct, hope Mr.. Clsire's" In
telligeuce will readily perceive that young ladies
would not be particularly anxious to " shine" for
his delectation. and leave 1t to I" Mr. Caire'sp
Judgment, il his being in company with such an
sttanted character did not iDjure hisIchances Of
being edited. But even II Mr.. Claire" had gone
alone, and visited ak or seven families on every
successive evening for week. Is it probable that
he would be alberto judge Of the acquisitions of
every circle In such length Of time? True worth
is generally modest, and IL il very probable that
the young lady, whom he describes so well that
she can scarcely fail TO recognize his friendly PEN
picture was the least intelligent of the party In
which she endesvored to exhibither requirements.
"Mr. Claire" says that she vas astonished when
his friend told him that young ladies knew moth
ing ~ tis, therefore. very probable that Mr..
Clairen visited the circles which he traduces a. q
stranger; if not, and he was before acquainted
with the young ladies', his establishment at the an.
nouncement OF their ignorance gives very little
credit TO bis Derspcacity and capsbity for judg-
ing. and In either case, the many readers Of the
CRESCENT will estimate his opinion at its true
value.
"Mr. Claire" has the kindness to give young
ladies list Of such poets as they should study,
and includes in this list Shakespeare and Pope, but
for some reason eschews Byron and Moore-pro-
baby because young ladies prefer the latter and
for no other reason. II he object to them on &C
count Of immortality, the former two are liable 70
the same objection. l admit that Shakespeare is
Gator OF Mind, but Byron is the idea OF Passion,
and Moore the favorite Of Imagination and Sent.
ment. And would he have eschev Passion and
Sentiment as emitted by their volcanic minds
because, perhaps, they revel too voluptuousy in
their own feasts? IL so will quote from one Of
his fsvortes to show how different his opinion is.
Hamlet says Il quote from memory:
81 BEST Is the man whose passion aud whose
judgment are SO well commingled that he Is not
pipe for fortunes finger to play any stop she
choose. Give me that man who is not passions
slave, F" etc.
And Pope in his Essay on Man is more
open champion:
Passions, though selfish, If their means be fair,
List under Reason and deserve her care;
Those that impaired court nobler aim,
Exslt their kind, and take come virtues name.
On life's vast ocean diyersely we sail,
Reason she chart. but Passion is the gale"
can assure 'Mr. Clsiren that young ladies' are
not more liable to be affected by influences OF By
ron and Moore than the stronger sex are, and that
they are ss capable Of discriminating as he pre-
tends 10 be. They do not throw the pearls that
glitter from their pages, because, forsooth, there
is some glass among the gems. II the beauties of
writer should be ignored by his defects, we
might use the same drgumenttrn dd hoDlinenn in
reference TO the air we breathe, the food we eat,
the LAND we inhabit etc.
So, my dear young ladies, don't you mind "Mr.
Claire's" structures, and take only so much of his
advice as your own Judgment deems prudent. Your
judgment IN dealing with society Is more correct
than lis rs supposed to be; he, probably. knows
something about himself, but cannot be expected
to know all the difficulties you have to encounter.
Your course Is between scylla and Charybdis-the
fear Of being considered pedantc and "blue stock
ing-ish" by the unlearned, and of being
dubbed" ignorant by the pedsntic. Store your
minds with jewels, but be cautious to whom YOU
exhibit your treasures. Mr.: Clairen will, hope,
acknowledge the difficulty Of . young lady's se.
lection when tell him that from an experience of
many years think am very liberal 10 saying
that perhaps not more than one In one hundred Of
thoee bubbles of society. young men. know how
10 appreciate intelligence and good sense.
GRACE.